Digital Commons Network^™

Interleukin-17-Induced Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Mediate Resistance To Checkpoint Blockade In Pancreatic Cancer, Yu Zhang, Vidhi Chandra, Erick Riquelme Sanchez, Prasanta Dutta, Pompeyo R. Quesada, Amanda Rakoski, Michelle Zoltan, Nivedita Arora, Seyda Baydogan, William Horne, Jared Burks, Hanwen Xu, Perwez Hussain, Huamin Wang, Sonal Gupta, Anirban Maitra, Jennifer M. Bailey, Seyed J. Moghaddam, Sulagna Banerjee, Ismet Sahin, Pratip Bhattacharya

Faculty Publications

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a lethal malignancy with an immunosuppressive microenvironment that is resistant to most therapies. IL17 is involved in pancreatic tumorigenesis, but its role in invasive PDAC is undetermined. We hypothesized that IL17 triggers and sustains PDAC immunosuppression. We inhibited IL17/IL17RA signaling using pharmacological and genetic strategies alongside mass cytometry and multiplex immunofluorescence techniques. We uncovered that IL17 recruits neutrophils, triggers neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), and excludes cytotoxic CD8 T cells from tumors. Additionally, IL17 blockade increases immune checkpoint blockade (PD-1, CTLA4) sensitivity. Inhibition of neutrophils or Padi4-dependent NETosis phenocopies IL17 neutralization. NMR spectroscopy revealed changes in …

Information Uncertainty: A Correlate For Acute Stress Disorder During The Covid-19 Outbreak In China, Danhua Lin, Daniela B. Friedman Ph.D., Shan Qiao Ph.D., Cheuk Chi Tam, Xiaoyan Li, Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background: Individuals’ stress in responding to the current COVID-19 pandemic may be exacerbated by information uncertainty driven by inconsistent, unverified, and conflicting news from various sources. The current study aims to test if information uncertainty during the COVID-19 outbreak was related to acute stress disorder (ASD) over and above other psychosocial stressors.

Methods: An anonymous online survey was conducted with 7800 college students throughout China from January 31 through February 11, 2020. Existing scales were modified to measure ASD and six potential stressors including information uncertainty during the COVID-19 outbreak. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to assess the unique association …

The Acute Effects Of 5 Fluorouracil On Skeletal Muscle Resident And Infiltrating Immune Cells In Mice, Brandon N. Vanderveen, Alexander T. Sougiannis, Kandy T. Velazquez, James A. Carson, Daping Fan, E. Angela Murphy

Faculty Publications

5 fluorouracil (5FU) has been a first-choice chemotherapy drug for several cancer types (e.g., colon, breast, head, and neck); however, its efficacy is diminished by patient acquired resistance and pervasive side effects. Leukopenia is a hallmark of 5FU; however, the impact of 5FU-induced leukopenia on healthy tissue is only becoming unearthed. Recently, skeletal muscle has been shown to be impacted by 5FU in clinical and preclinical settings and weakness and fatigue remain among the most consistent complaints in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Monocytes, or more specifically macrophages, are the predominate immune cell in skeletal muscle which regulate turnover and homeostasis …

A Living Example Of Ethical Leadership, Petr Cincala

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Computational Investigation Of The Interstitial Oxidation Thermodynamics Of A Mo-Nb-Ta-W High Entropy Alloy Beyond The Dilute Regime, Adib J. Samin

Faculty Publications

High entropy alloys (HEAs) are promising candidates for high-temperature structural material applications. Oxidation is a major factor that must be accounted for when designing such materials and it is thus important to study the oxidation behavior of HEAs to enable the optimum design of next generation materials. In this study, the thermodynamic behavior of interstitial oxygen in a Mo-Nb-Ta-W high entropy alloy was explored beyond the dilute limit. This was accomplished by sampling configurations of the HEA and HEA-oxygen systems from an isothermal–isobaric ensemble using a series of first-principle-based Monte Carlo simulations. It was found that the interstitial oxygen had …

Repetition Of Computer Security Warnings Results In Differential Repetition Suppression Effects As Revealed With Functional Mri, C. Brock Kirwan, Daniel K. Bjornn, Bonnie Brinton Anderson, Anthony Vance, David Eargle, Jeffrey L. Jenkins

Faculty Publications

Computer users are often the last line of defense in computer security. However, with repeated exposures to system messages and computer security warnings, neural and behavioral responses show evidence of habituation. Habituation has been demonstrated at a neural level as repetition suppression where responses are attenuated with subsequent repetitions. In the brain, repetition suppression to visual stimuli has been demonstrated in multiple cortical areas, including the occipital lobe and medial temporal lobe. Prior research into the repetition suppression effect has generally focused on a single repetition and has not examined the pattern of signal suppression with repeated exposures. We used …

New Record Of Bacopa Egensis (Plantaginaceae) For The Flora Of Mexico, Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske, Nicholas P. Tippery, Nelly Del Carmen Jiménez Pérez, Donald H. Les

Faculty Publications

Bacopa egensis is newly reported for the flora of Mexico and an updated key is provided for the Mexican Bacopa species

Local Offenses, Brenner M. Fissell

Faculty Publications

Criminal law is generally thought to exist within two jurisdictional levels: federal and state. Neglected in the legal mind, and in legal scholarship, is the vast body of criminal law promulgated by local governments. While one should ask “what” is being criminalized by cities, towns, and villages, one should also ask “how” these offenses are written. The offense-drafting practices reflected in state criminal law have been extensively studied, but this has never been attempted for local offenses. This Article undertakes that task. After surveying a large number of local criminal codes, this Article concludes that local offenses routinely fail to …

Comparing Multiple Comparisons: Practical Guidance For Choosing The Best Multiple Comparisons Test, Stephen Midway, Matthew Robertson, Shane Flinn, Michael Kaller

Faculty Publications

Multiple comparisons tests (MCTs) include the statistical tests used to compare groups (treatments) often following a significant effect reported in one of many types of linear models. Due to a variety of data and statistical considerations, several dozen MCTs have been developed over the decades, with tests ranging from very similar to each other to very different from each other. Many scientific disciplines use MCTs, including >40,000 reports of their use in ecological journals in the last 60 years. Despite the ubiquity and utility of MCTs, several issues remain in terms of their correct use and reporting. In this study, …

Search For Gravitational Waves From Scorpius X-1 In The Second Advanced Ligo Observing Run With An Improved Hidden Markov Model, Tiffany Summerscales, Ligo Scientific Collaboration And The Virgo Collaboration

Faculty Publications

We present results from a semicoherent search for continuous gravitational waves from the low-mass x-ray binary Scorpius X-1, using a hidden Markov model (HMM) to track spin wandering. This search improves on previous HMM-based searches of LIGO data by using an improved frequency domain matched filter, the J-statistic, and by analyzing data from Advanced LIGO’s second observing run. In the frequency range searched, from 60 to 650 Hz, we find no evidence of gravitational radiation. At 194.6 Hz, the most sensitive search frequency, we report an upper limit on gravitational wave strain (at 95% confidence) of h95%0=3.47×10−25 when marginalizing over …

Publisher Correction: Exuberant Fibroblast Activity Compromises Lung Function Via Adamts4 (Nature, (2020), 587, 7834, (466-471), 10.1038/S41586-020-2877-5), David F. Boyd, E. Kaitlynn Allen, Adrienne G. Randolph, Xi Zhi J. Guo, Yunceng Weng, Catherine J. Sanders, Resha Bajracharya, Natalie K. Lee, Clifford S. Guy, Peter Vogel, Wenda Guan, Yimin Li, Xiaoqing Liu, Tanya Novak, Margaret M. Newhams, Thomas P. Fabrizio, Nicholas Wohlgemuth, Peter M. Mourani, Michele Kong, Ronald C. Sanders, Katherine Irby, Katri Typpo, Barry Markovitz, Natalie Cvijanovich, Heidi Flori, Adam Schwarz, Nick Anas, Peter Mourani, Angela Czaja, Gwenn Mclaughlin, Matthew Paden, Keiko Tarquinio, Bria M. Coates, Neethi Pinto

Faculty Publications

© 2020, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited. An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Integrating Health Technologies In Health Services For Syrian Refugees In Lebanon: Qualitative Study, Reem Talhouk, Chaza Akik, Vera Araujo-Soares, Balsam Ahmad, Sandra Mesmar, Patrick Olivier, Madeline Balaam, Kyle Montague, Andrew Garbett, Hala Ghattas Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Background:

Lebanon currently hosts around one million Syrian refugees. There has been an increasing interest in integrating eHealth and mHealth technologies into the provision of primary health care to refugees and Lebanese citizens.

Objective:

We aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the potential for technology integration in primary health care provision in the context of the protracted Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon.

Methods:

A total of 17 face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with key informants (n=8) and health care providers (n=9) involved in the provision of health care to the Syrian refugee population in Lebanon. Interviews were audio recorded …

First Results On Protodune-Sp Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber Performance From A Beam Test At The Cern Neutrino Platform, B. Abi, A. Abed Abud, R. Acciarri, M. A. Acero, G. Adamowski, D. Adams, P. Adrien, M. Adinolfi, Z. Ahmad, J. Ahmed, T. Alion, S. Alonso Monsalve, C. Alt, J. Anderson, C. Andreopoulos, M. P. Andrews, F. Andrianala, S. Andringa, A. Ankowski, M. Antonova, Roberto Petti, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

The ProtoDUNE-SP detector is a single-phase liquid argon time projection chamber with an active volume of 7.2 × 6.1 × 7.0 m³ . It is installed at the CERN Neutrino Platform in a specially-constructed beam that delivers charged pions, kaons, protons, muons and electrons with momenta in the range 0.3 GeV/�� to 7 GeV/��. Beam line instrumentation provides accurate momentum measurements and particle identification. The ProtoDUNE-SP detector is a prototype for the first far detector module of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, and it incorporates full-size components as designed for that module. This paper describes the beam line, the …

Groundwater Production From Geothermal Heating On Early Mars And Implication For Early Martian Habitability, Lujendra Ojha, Jacob Buffo, Suniti Karunatillake, Matthew Siegler

Faculty Publications

Copyright © 2020 The Authors, In explaining extensive evidence for past liquid water, the debate on whether Mars was primarily warm and wet or cold and arid 4 billion years (Ga) ago has continued for decades. The Sun’s luminosity was ~30% lower 4 Ga ago; thus, most martian climate models struggle to elevate the mean surface temperature past the melting point of water. Basal melting of ice sheets may help resolve that paradox. We modeled the thermophysical evolution of ice and estimate the geothermal heat flux required to produce meltwater on a cold, arid Mars. We then analyzed geophysical and …

Lc-Ms/Ms Quantification Of Nevirapine And Its Metabolites In Hair For Assessing Long-Term Adherence, Haoran Yang, Liuxi Chu, Yan Wu, Wei Wang, Jin Yang, Quan Zhang, Shan Qiao Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph. D., Zhiyong Shen, Yuejiao Zhou, Shuaifeng Liu, Huihua Deng

Faculty Publications

The adherence assessment based on the combination of nevirapine (NVP) and its two metabolites (2-hydroxynevirapine and 3-hydroxynevirapine) would more comprehensively and accurately reflect long-term adherence than that of a single prototype. This study aimed to develop a specific, sensitive and selective method for simultaneous detection of the three compounds in hair and explore whether there was consistency among the three compounds in assessing long-term adherence. Furthermore, 75 HIV-positive patients who were taking the NVP drug were randomly recruited and divided into two groups (high-and low-adherence group). All participants self-reported their days of oral drug administration per month and provided their …

Hypotensive And Antihypertensive Effects Of An Aqueous Extract From Guinep Fruit (Melicoccus Bijugatus Jacq) In Rats, Chukwuemeka R. Nwokocha, Alexia Gordon, Javier Palacios, Adrian Paredes, Fredi Cifuentes, Sheena Francis, Je Ann Watson, Rupika Delgoda, Magdalene Nwokocha, Ruby Alexander-Lindo, Rory Thompson, Donna Minott-Kates, Momoh A. Yakubu

Faculty Publications

Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq (Mb) has been reported to have cardiovascular modulatory effects. In this study, we evaluated the antihypertensive effects and mechanism of action of Mb on NG-Nitro-l-arginine Methyl Ester (l-NAME) and Deoxycorticosterone Acetate (DOCA) rat models. Aqueous extract of Mb fruit (100 mg/kg) was administered for 6 weeks to rats by gavage and blood pressure was recorded. Effects of the extract on vascular reactivity was evaluated using isolated organ baths, and tissues were collected for biochemical and histological analysis. The systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced with extract (100 mg/kg) administration and treatment compared to the hypertensive models. Mb (100 µg/mL) reduced the vascular contractility induced by phenylephrine (PE), and caused a dose-dependent relaxation of PE-induced contraction of aortic vascular rings. The vasorelaxation properties seemed to be endothelium dependent, as well as nitric oxide (NO) and guanylyl cyclase, but not prostaglandin dependent. Histomicrograph of transverse sections of the ventricles from the Mb group did not show abnormalities. The extract significantly (P < 0.05) reduced an l-NAME induced elevation of cardiac output and Creatine Kinase Muscle-Brain (CKMB), but had no significant impact on the activities of arylamine N-acetyltransferase. In conclusion, Mb significantly decreased blood pressure in hypertensive models. The extract possesses the ability to induce endothelium dependent vasodilation, which is dependent on guanylyl cyclase but not prostaglandins.

Trends In Appendicitis Among Pregnant Women, The Risk For Cardiac Arrest, And Maternal–Fetal Mortality, Deepa Dongarwar, Jalyce Taylor, Veronica Ajewole, Nmelichukwu Anene, Oladapo Omoyele, China Ogba, Abiodun Oluwatoba, Dominique Giger, Au Thuy, Erika Argueta, Eknath Naik, Jason L. Salemi, Kiara Spooner, Omonike Olaleye, Hamisu M. Salihu

Faculty Publications

Background: Appendicitis is the most common extra-uterine surgical emergency requiring immediate intervention during pregnancy. However, risks for mortality and morbidity among pregnant women with appendicitis remain poorly understood. This study was conducted to determine the temporal trends of appendicitis in pregnant women, and to calculate the risk of maternal–fetal mortality and near-miss marker (i.e., cardiac arrest) among pregnant women in general, and by race/ethnicity. Methods: We conducted this retrospective study using data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from January 1, 2002, through December 31, 2015. Joinpoint regression was used to estimate and describe temporal changes in the rates of …

Addressing Power Dynamics In Community-Engaged Research Partnerships, Lauri Andress, Tristen Hall, Sheila Davis, Judith Levine, Kimberly Cripps, Dominique Guinn

Faculty Publications

Background: Successful community-engaged research depends on the quality of the collaborative partnerships between community -members and academic researchers and may take several forms depending on the purpose which dictates the degree to which power dynamics are handled within the collaborative arrangement. Methods: To understand the power dynamics and related concepts within community-engaged research arrangements, a secondary analysis of an existing qualitative data set was undertaken. Two models of community-engaged research, a review of literature, and the applied experiences of researchers familiar with community engagement practices confirmed the power dynamics concepts used to carry out the analysis of the qualitative data …

Proving Our Maternal And Scholarly Worth: A Collaborative Autoethnographic Textual And Visual Storying Of Motherscholar Identity Work During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Elizabeth Spradley, Sarah S. Leblanc, Heather Olson-Beal, Lauren Burrow, Chrissy Cross

Faculty Publications

Pivoting to remote work as female academics and to schooling our children from home as mothers in March 2020 marked a dramatic shift in how we enact our MotherScholar identities. This collaborative autoethnographic study employs a modification of interactive interviewing and photovoice to produce verbal and visual text of COVID-19 MotherScholar identity work for analysis. Thematic analysis results in themes of maternal interruptions, professional interruptions, maternal recognition, and professional recognition. Of note, our MotherScholar interactivity functioned as identity work as we sought and granted legitimacy to one another’s’ COVID-19 MotherScholar identities. Of particular concern to us is how institutions of …

A Systematic Review Of Global Health Capacity Building Initiatives In Low-To Middle-Income Countries In The Middle East And North Africa Region, Naal Hady, Maria El Koussa, Melissa El Hamouch, Layal Hneiny

Faculty Publications

ntroduction: Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are facing increasing global health challenges with a reduced ability to manage them. Global Health Capacity Building (GHCB) initiatives have the potential to improve health workforce performance and health outcomes, however little is known about the GHCB topics and approaches implemented in this region. This is the first systematic review of GHCB initiatives among LMICs in the MENA region. Methods: An academic database search of Medline (OVID), PubMed, Scopus, Embase.com, and Open Grey was conducted for articles published between January 2009 and September 2019 in English. …

Rare Earth Element Distributions In Continental Shelf Sediment, Northern South China Sea, Qian Ge, Z. George Xue, Fengyou Chu

Faculty Publications

A total of 388 surface sediment samples taken from the northern South China Sea (SCS) continental shelf were analyzed to characterize the signature of their rare earth elements (REEs). The average REEs concentration was 192.94 µg/g, with a maximum of 349.07 µg/g, and a minimum of 32.97 µg/g. The chondrite-normalized REEs pattern exhibits a remarkably light REEs accumulation, a relatively flat heavy REEs pattern, and a negative Eu anomaly. We subdivided the study area into three zones using the characteristics of REEs and statistical characteristics. Zone I: continental shelf off western Guangdong Province. Here, the sediment provenance is mainly river-derived …

Principles Of Effective Data Visualization, Stephen R. Midway

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Contrasting Hydrodynamic Responses To Atmospheric Systems With Different Scales: Impact Of Cold Fronts Vs. That Of A Hurricane, Wei Huang, Chunyan Li

Faculty Publications

In this paper, subtidal responses of Barataria Bay to an atmospheric cold front in 2014 and Hurricane Barry of 2019 are studied. The cold fronts had shorter influencing periods (1 to 3 days), while Hurricane Barry had a much longer influencing period (about 1 week). Wind direction usually changes from southern quadrants to northern quadrants before and after a cold front’s passage. For a hurricane making its landfall at the norther Gulf of Mexico coast, wind variation is dependent on the location relative to the location of landfall. Consequently, water level usually reaches a trough after the maximum cold front …

Waves On Louisiana Continental Shelf Influenced By Atmospheric Fronts, Biyun Guo, M. V. Subrahmanyam, C. Li

Faculty Publications

Ocean-atmospheric dynamical processes influence the wave characteristics, and sea surface temperature (SST). The processes that affect SST in the ocean area included surface heat fluxes, wind, and precipitation. In this study, we analyzed the wave data in response to the cold front passages over Louisiana continental shelf. The data examined in this research is mainly from WAVCIS (Wave-Current-surge Information System), Coastal Ocean Estuarine Dynamics Lab at Louisiana State University and Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP). With respect to the wave response to the atmospheric forcing, here we consider: (1) the connection between wave variability and atmospheric frontal passages, and (2) …

Nationwide Hvac Energy-Saving Potential Quantification For Office Buildings With Occupant-Centric Controls In Various Climates, Zhihong Pang, Yan Chen, Jian Zhang, Zheng O'Neill, Hwakong Cheng, Bing Dong

Faculty Publications

The occupant-centric control (OCC) is receiving an increasing attention since it could reduce building heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system energy consumptions while not affecting the occupant thermal comfort. This paper aims to quantify the nationwide energy-saving potential of implementing the occupant-centric HVAC controls in typical office buildings. First, the medium office and large office from the Department of Energy (DOE) Commercial Prototype Building Models (CPBM) were enhanced to have detailed layouts and dynamic occupancy schedules. Then, a comprehensive simulation plan was created by incorporating the multiple zone-level and system-level occupant-centric building HVAC controls recommended by the updated ASHRAE Standard …

Blackness As Fighting Words, Etienne C. Toussaint

Faculty Publications

The resurgence of worldwide protests by activists of the Movement for Black Lives (BLM) has ushered a global reckoning with the meaning of this generation’s rallying cry – “Black Lives Matter.” As citizens emblazon their streets with this expression in massive artistic murals, the Trump administration has responded with the militarized policing of non-violent public demonstrations, revealing not merely a disregard for public safety, but far worse, a concerted dismantling of protestors’ First Amendment rights. Nevertheless, BLM protests have persisted. Accordingly, this Essay considers the implications of this generation’s acclamation of Black humanity amidst the social tensions exposed during the …

Emotional Presence In Building An Online Learning Community Among Non-Traditional Graduate Students, Mei Jiang, Katie Koo

Faculty Publications

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework posits that a collaborative online teaching and learning process can be achieved through three interdependent dimensions of presence: cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence. Emotion is considered an important factor in successful online learning. This study explored non-traditional graduate students’ perceived emotional presence that emerged in participants’ online learning experiences. Based on quantitative and qualitative data from 45 non-traditional graduate students in the field of education, the study showed that participants demonstrated both positive emotional expressions (e.g., enjoyment and happiness) and negative expressions (e.g., frustration and disappointment) in their responses. Emotional presence ratings …

The Promise Of A Multi-Disciplinary, Mixed-Methods Approach To Inform Insect Pest Management: Evidence From Wyoming Alfalfa, Randa Jabbour, Shiri Noy

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Geographic Patterns And Environmental Correlates Of Phylogenetic Relatedness And Diversity For Freshwater Fish Assemblages In North America, Hong Qian, Yong Cao, Daijiang Li, Cindy Chu, Brody Sandel, Xianli Wang

Faculty Publications

© 2020 The Authors. Ecography published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Society Oikos The tropical niche conservatism hypothesis suggests that most groups should be most phylogenetically clustered in cold, dry environments. This idea has been well-tested in plants and some animal groups, but not for fishes. We assess the geographic patterns of freshwater fish phylogenetic structure and investigate the relationships between these patterns and environmental variables across North America and within two biogeographic realms. Phylogenetic relatedness and diversity of 360 freshwater fish assemblages across North America were quantified with three metrics based on a well-dated …

Fenugreek Counters The Effects Of High Fat Diet On Gut Microbiota In Mice: Links To Metabolic Benefit, Annadora J. Bruce-Keller, Allison J. Richard, Sun Ok Fernandez-Kim, David M. Ribnicky, J. Michael Salbaum, Susan Newman, Richard Carmouche, Jacqueline M. Stephens

Faculty Publications

© 2020, The Author(s). Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an annual herbaceous plant and a staple of traditional health remedies for metabolic conditions including high cholesterol and diabetes. While the mechanisms of the beneficial actions of fenugreek remain unknown, a role for intestinal microbiota in metabolic homeostasis is likely. To determine if fenugreek utilizes intestinal bacteria to offset the adverse effects of high fat diets, C57BL/6J mice were fed control/low fat (CD) or high fat (HFD) diets each supplemented with or without 2% (w/w) fenugreek for 16 weeks. The effects of fenugreek and HFD on gut microbiota were comprehensively mapped and …