Digital Commons Network^™

Progressive Acceleration Of Insulin Exposure Over 7 Days Of Infusion Set Wear, Jasmin R. Kastner, Timothy S. Bailey, Poul Strange, Leon Shi, Keith A. Oberg, Paul J. Strasma, Jeffrey I. Joseph, Douglas B. Muchmore

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

Insulin exposure varies over 3 days of insulin infusion set (IIS) wear making day-to-day insulin dosing challenging for people with diabetes (PWD). Here we report insulin pharmacodynamic (PD) and pharmacokinetic (PK) data extending these observations to 7 days of IIS wear. PWD (A1C ≤8.5%, C-peptide tmax (P < 0.001), Cmax (P < 0.05), and mean residence time (P < 0.0001). Area under the insulin concentration curve (AUC0–300) declined by ∼24% from days 0 to 7 (P < 0.05). These results confirm/extend previous observations showing progressive acceleration of insulin exposure over IIS wear time. This may have implications for PWD and designers of closed-loop algorithms, although larger studies are necessary to confirm this. The study was registered in clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04398030).

Correlations Between Complex Human Phenotypes Vary By Genetic Background, Gender, And Environment, Michael Elgart, Matthew O Goodman, Carmen Isasi, Han Chen, Alanna C Morrison, Paul S De Vries, Huichun Xu, Ani W Manichaikul, Xiuqing Guo, Nora Franceschini, Bruce M Psaty, Stephen S Rich, Jerome I Rotter, Donald M Lloyd-Jones, Myriam Fornage, Adolfo Correa, Nancy L Heard-Costa, Ramachandran S Vasan, Ryan Hernandez, Robert C Kaplan, Susan Redline, Tamar Sofer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We develop a closed-form Haseman-Elston estimator for genetic and environmental correlation coefficients between complex phenotypes, which we term HEc, that is as precise as GCTA yet ∼20× faster. We estimate genetic and environmental correlations between over 7,000 phenotype pairs in subgroups from the Trans-Omics in Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program. We demonstrate substantial differences in both heritabilities and genetic correlations for multiple phenotypes and phenotype pairs between individuals of self-reported Black, Hispanic/Latino, and White backgrounds. We similarly observe differences in many of the genetic and environmental correlations between genders. To estimate the contribution of genetics to the observed phenotypic correlation, we …

Menstrual Health Among Adolescents And Young Adults In Rural Haiti., Emily R. Rupe, Jonathan Rodean, Emily A. Hurley, Melissa K. Miller, Marie Daphnee Boncoeur, Abbey R. Masonbrink

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Adolescent and young adult (AYA) females in low- and middle-income countries often face disparities in menstrual health (MH). Poor MH and lack of sexual and reproductive health education leads to school absenteeism, increasing risk for adverse psychosocial and educational outcomes. Further, disasters (e.g., earthquakes) are linked with unsafe living environments and sanitation facilities for women. We sought to describe MH perspectives and practices among AYAs in rural Haiti.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in two rural communities in Haiti. AYA females aged 14-24 years completed questions on demographics, the Menstrual Practice Needs Scale (36 items; MPNS-36) and the …

Xcvatr: Detection And Characterization Of Variant Impact On The Embeddings Of Single -Cell And Bulk Rna-Sequencing Samples, Arif Harmanci, Akdes Serin Harmanci, Tiemo J Klisch, Akash J Patel

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: RNA-sequencing has become a standard tool for analyzing gene activity in bulk samples and at the single-cell level. By increasing sample sizes and cell counts, this technique can uncover substantial information about cellular transcriptional states. Beyond quantification of gene expression, RNA-seq can be used for detecting variants, including single nucleotide polymorphisms, small insertions/deletions, and larger variants, such as copy number variants. Notably, joint analysis of variants with cellular transcriptional states may provide insights into the impact of mutations, especially for complex and heterogeneous samples. However, this analysis is often challenging due to a prohibitively high number of variants and …

Quality Assessment And Refinement Of Chromatin Accessibility Data Using A Sequence-Based Predictive Model, Seong Kyu Han, Yoshiharu Muto, Parker C Wilson, Benjamin D Humphreys, Matthew G Sampson, Aravinda Chakravarti, Dongwon Lee

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Chromatin accessibility assays are central to the genome-wide identification of gene regulatory elements associated with transcriptional regulation. However, the data have highly variable quality arising from several biological and technical factors. To surmount this problem, we developed a sequence-based machine learning method to evaluate and refine chromatin accessibility data. Our framework, gapped k-mer SVM quality check (gkmQC), provides the quality metrics for a sample based on the prediction accuracy of the trained models. We tested 886 DNase-seq samples from the ENCODE/Roadmap projects to demonstrate that gkmQC can effectively identify "high-quality" (HQ) samples with low conventional quality scores owing to marginal …

Spatial Heterogeneity Of Infiltrating T Cells In High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Revealed By Multi-Omics Analysis, Bin Yang, Xiong Li, Wei Zhang, Junpeng Fan, Yong Zhou, Wenting Li, Jingjing Yin, Xiaohang Yang, Ensong Guo, Xi Li, Yu Fu, Si Liu, Dianxing Hu, Xu Qin, Yingyu Dou, Rourou Xiao, Funian Lu, Zizhuo Wang, Tianyu Qin, Wei Wang, Qinghua Zhang, Shuaicheng Li, Ding Ma, Gordon B Mills, Gang Chen, Chaoyang Sun

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), especially CD8+ TILs, represent a favorable prognostic factor in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and other tumor lineages. Here, we analyze the spatial heterogeneity of different TIL subtypes in HGSOC. We integrated RNA sequencing, whole-genome sequencing, bulk T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing, as well as single-cell RNA/TCR sequencing to investigate the characteristics and differential composition of TILs across different HGSOC sites. Two immune "cold" patterns in ovarian cancer are identified: (1) ovarian lesions with low infiltration of mainly dysfunctional T cells and immunosuppressive Treg cells and (2) omental lesions infiltrated with non-tumor-specific bystander cells. Exhausted CD8 T …

Structural Insights Into Cardiolipin Replacement By Phosphatidylglycerol In A Cardiolipin-Lacking Yeast Respiratory Supercomplex, Elena G Govorunova, Oleg A Sineshchekov, Leonid S Brown, Ana-Nicoleta Bondar, John L Spudich

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Potassium-selective channelrhodopsins (KCRs) are light-gated K+ channels recently found in the stramenopile protist Hyphochytrium catenoides. When expressed in neurons, KCRs enable high-precision optical inhibition of spiking (optogenetic silencing). KCRs are capable of discriminating K+ from Na+ without the conventional K+ selectivity filter found in classical K+ channels. The genome of H. catenoides also encodes a third paralog that is more permeable for Na+ than for K+. To identify structural motifs responsible for the unusual K+ selectivity of KCRs, we systematically analyzed a series of chimeras and mutants of this protein. We found that mutations of three critical residues in the …

In-Depth Analysis Of Alternative Splicing Landscape In Multiple Myeloma And Potential Role Of Dysregulated Splicing Factors, Anil Aktas Samur, Mariateresa Fulciniti, Herve Avet-Loiseau, Michael A Lopez, Sanika Derebail, Jill Corre, Stephane Minvielle, Florence Magrangeas, Philippe Moreau, Kenneth C Anderson, Giovanni Parmigiani, Mehmet K Samur, Nikhil C Munshi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Splicing changes are common in cancer and are associated with dysregulated splicing factors. Here, we analyzed RNA-seq data from 323 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients and described the alternative splicing (AS) landscape. We observed a large number of splicing pattern changes in MM cells compared to normal plasma cells (NPC). The most common events were alterations of mutually exclusive exons and exon skipping. Most of these events were observed in the absence of overall changes in gene expression and often impacted the coding potential of the alternatively spliced genes. To understand the molecular mechanisms driving frequent aberrant AS, we …

A Unique High-Output Cardiac Hypertrophy Phenotype Arising From Low Systemic Vascular Resistance In Cantu Syndrome, Gautam K Singh, Conor Mcclenaghan, Manish Aggarwal, Hongjie Gu, Maria S Remedi, Dorothy K Grange, Colin G Nichols

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Background Cardiomegaly caused by left ventricular hypertrophy is a risk factor for development of congestive heart failure, classically associated with decreased systolic and/or diastolic ventricular function. Less attention has been given to the phenotype of left ventricular hypertrophy with enhanced ventricular function and increased cardiac output, which is potentially associated with high-output heart failure. Lack of recognition may pose diagnostic ambiguity and management complexities. Methods and Results We sought to systematically characterize high-output cardiac hypertrophy in subjects with Cantu syndrome (CS), caused by gain-of-function variants in

Surface Modification Of 3d Printed Microfluidic Devices For Controlled Wetting In Two-Phase Flow, Chandler A. Warr, Nicole G. Crawford, Gregory P. Nordin, William G. Pitt

Faculty Publications

Microfluidic devices (MFDs) printed in 3-D geometry using digital light projection to polymerize monomers often have surfaces that are not as hydrophobic as MFDs made from polydimethylsiloxane. Droplet microfluidics in these types of devices are subject to droplet adhesion and aqueous spreading on less hydrophobic MFD surfaces. We have developed a post-processing technique using hydrophobic monomers that renders the surfaces of these devices much more hydrophobic. The technique is fast and easy, and involves flowing monomer without initiator into the channels and then exposing the entire device to UV light that generates radicals from the initiator molecules remaining in the …

Type Iv Pili Are A Critical Virulence Factor In Clinical Isolates Of Paenibacillus Thiaminolyticus, Christine Hehnly, Petra Erdmann Gilmore, R. Reid Townsend, David D. Limbrick, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Hydrocephalus, the leading indication for childhood neurosurgery worldwide, is particularly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. Hydrocephalus preceded by an infection, or postinfectious hydrocephalus, accounts for up to 60% of hydrocephalus in these areas. Since many children with hydrocephalus suffer poor long-term outcomes despite surgical intervention, prevention of hydrocephalus remains paramount. Our previous studies implicated a novel bacterial pathogen, Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus, as a causal agent of neonatal sepsis and postinfectious hydrocephalus in Uganda. Here, we report the isolation of three

Nature Of Β-1,3-Glucan-Exposing Features On Candida Albicans Cell Wall And Their Modulation, Leandro Jose De Assis, Jm Bain, C Liddle, I Leaves, C Hacker, Da Silva R Peres, R Yuecel, A Bebes, D Stead, Ds Childers, A Pradhan, K Mackenzie, K Lagree, De Larcombe, Q Ma, Gm Avelar, Mg Netea, Lp Erwig, Ap Mitchell, Gd Brown, Nar Gow, Ajp Brown

Peninsula Medical School

Microbes that coexist with humans have evolved ways of avoiding or evading our immunological defenses. These include the masking by these microbes of their “pathogen-associated molecular patterns” (PAMPs), which are recognized as “foreign” and used to activate protective immunity.

Self-Hybridization In Leishmania Major, Tiago R Ferreira, Ehud Inbar, Jahangheer Shaik, Brendan M Jeffrey, Kashinath Ghosh, Deborah E. Dobson, Stephen M. Beverley, David Sacks

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Genetic exchange between different

Human-Machine Communication: Complete Volume 5. Gender And Human-Machine Communication

Human-Machine Communication

This is the complete volume of HMC Volume 5

Ivf So White, So Medical: Digital Normativity And Algorithm Bias In Infertility On Instagram, Caitlyn M. Jarvis, Margaret M. Quinlan

Human-Machine Communication

Increasingly, women experiencing infertility are turning online to social media platforms, like Instagram, to engage with a support network and foster empathy. However, Instagram is also noted for its augmentation of White, cis, and heteronormative femininity through a process of silencing and minoritizing alternative, non-White voices. Through an inductive analysis of the most frequently used infertility hashtags, we collected and analyzed 252 Instagram posts to investigate how these algorithmic practices may socially construct the idealized IVF experience through communicating normative expectations. We identify predominant patterns of use that reinforce stratification within infertility treatments as primarily accessible to White women and …

Designing A Loving Robot: A Social Construction Analysis Of A Sex Robot Creator’S Vision, Annette Masterson

Human-Machine Communication

In 2018, one of the world’s first sex robots was released by CEO Matt McMullen and his company, RealDoll. With artificial intelligence capabilities, the Harmony model is meant to support and converse with users. Using a social construction of technology theory lens, this study develops the theory’s fourth level of analysis, emphasizing mass media’s construction abilities. A critical discourse analysis of 38 publicity interviews found a tendency to emphasize the companionship of sex robots while envisioning a future where integration is normalized, and a sentient robot is possible. As the creator, McMullen’s vision could determine the future of robotic design, …

The Evolution Of Gendered Software: Products, Scientific Reasoning, Criticism, And Tools, Victoria A. E. Kratel

Human-Machine Communication

Over the past 7 decades, gendered software has become globally established. In this theoretical distribution, I outline the evolution of gendered software. The journey of gendered software started with the raw idea fueled by Alan Turing’s imitation game in the 1950s. And only shortly thereafter, in the 1960s and 1970s, the first gendered software products like Joseph Weizenbaum’s ELIZA were developed. Thus, academia took its time to not only explore technological aspects, but to further investigate the matter of gender in the 1990s CASA-paradigm (Nass et al., 1994) and Media Equation (Reeves & Nass, 1996). As these theories reasoned the …

Gender Ambiguity In Voice-Based Assistants: Gender Perception And Influences Of Context, Sandra Mooshammer, Katrin Etzrodt

Human-Machine Communication

Recently emerging synthetic acoustically gender-ambiguous voices could contribute to dissolving the still prevailing genderism. Yet, are we indeed perceiving these voices as “unassignable”? Or are we trying to assimilate them into existing genders? To investigate the perceived ambiguity, we conducted an explorative 3 (male, female, ambiguous voice) × 3 (male, female, ambiguous topic) experiment. We found that, although participants perceived the gender-ambiguous voice as ambiguous, they used a profoundly wide range of the scale, indicating tendencies toward a gender. We uncovered a mild dissolve of gender roles. Neither the listener’s gender nor the personal gender stereotypes impacted the perception. However, …

Gender And Human-Machine Communication: Where Are We?, Leopoldina Fortunati, Autumn P. Edwards

Human-Machine Communication

In this introduction to the fifth volume of the journal Human-Machine Communication, we present and discuss the five articles focusing on gender and human-machine communication. In this essay, we will analyze the theme of gender, including how this notion has historically and politically been set up, and for what reasons. We will start by considering gender in in-person communication, then we will progress to consider what happens to gender when it is mediated by the most important ICTs that preceded HMC: the telephone, mobile phone, and computer-mediated communication (CMC). We outline the historical framework necessary to analyze the last section …

Physical Activity Independently Predicts Perceived Stress During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Private University Students, Curtis W. Brownell, Laura S. Kabiri, Cassandra S. Diep, Heidi Y. Perkins, Amanda M. Perkins-Ball, Augusto X. Rodriguez

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(7): 1680-1691, 2022. Physical activity has significantly declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Declines in physical activity have correlated with increased levels of perceived stress, though studies examining physical activity and stress have failed to account for critical confounds. The present study aims to determine whether physical activity independently predicts perceived stress in students attending private four-year universities. Physical activity, socioeconomic status, resilience, gender, and perceived stress data were collected from 85 students and used in a multiple linear regression analysis. The regression model accounted for 43.5% of the variance in perceived stress (R2 = .462, …

Muscle Architecture And Strength Changes Induced By Different Resistance Training Frequencies And Detraining, Tiago Volpi Braz, Felipe Brigatto, Danilo Rodrigues Batista, Wellington Gonçalves Dias, Luan Oenning Col, Guilherme Borsetti Businari, Jhenipher Rosolem, Julio Benvenutti Bueno De Camargo, Paulo Henrique Barbosa, Charles Ricardo Lopes

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 15(4): 1661-1679, 2022. The purpose of the present study was to investigate muscle thickness and strength outcomes of the quadriceps femoris induced by different resistance training (RT) frequencies and detraining. In addition, muscle architecture (MA) parameters were also assessed. Twenty-seven healthy resistance-trained subjects (men, n = 17; women, n = 10; 20.8 ± 1.9 years; RT experience = 3.3 ± 1.6 years) volunteered to participate in this study. One leg of each subject was randomly allocated into the 2 sessions per week condition (2x) and the contralateral leg was then placed in the 4 sessions …

Evaluating System Usability, Workload Suitability, And User Experience Of Game-Based Virtual Reality In Spaceflight Education And Training, Lana Laskey, Joseph Keebler

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Game-based instruction and immersive virtual reality are enhanced pedagogical methods beneficial in training environments involving complex disciplines, ranging from medical applications to construction engineering technology. This study investigated the use of game-based virtual reality (GBVR) when applied to the complex discipline of spaceflight education and training. As modern society places increasing demand on space-based amenities, the need for proficient satellite operators will also increase, requiring more accessible and more advanced training options. Spaceflight training scenarios, immersed in the GBVR environment, were developed and deployed to university student participants. Multiple validated scales were used to measure the GBVR system regarding three …

Compatibility Of Crude Oil Blends─Processing Issues Related To Asphaltene Precipitation, Methods Of Instability Prediction─A Review, Krzysztof Bambinek, Andrzej Przyjazny, Grzegorz Boczkaj

Natural Sciences Publications

Processing crude oil of variable composition, especially due to the need to process crude oil blends obtained from various sources, presents a tremendous process challenge. This is mainly due to the destabilization of the colloidal system manifested mostly by the precipitation of the asphaltene fraction. The precipitation of asphaltenes from crude oil is a serious problem during extraction, transport, and processing. In the latter case, engineers and scientists have spent a lot of time determining what mechanisms are conducive to the occurrence of this phenomenon. On the one hand, there was a scientific curiosity about the principles of the nanoworld …

6k1, Nia-Vpg, Nia-Pro, And Cp Ofwheat Streak Mosaic Virus Are Collective Determinants Of Wheat Streak Mosaic Disease In Wheat, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Jeffrey Alexander, Haritha Nunna

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV; genus Tritimovirus, family Potyviridae) is the causal agent of the most economically important wheat streak mosaic disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum) in the Great Plains region of theUnited States.WSMVdeterminants responsible forwheat streak mosaic disease in wheat are unknown. Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV), a wheatinfecting virus,was used as an expression vector for the transient expression of each of the WSMV-encoded cistrons in wheat. WSMV-encoded 6K1, NIa-VPg, NIa-Pro, and CP cistrons in TriMV elicited symptoms specific to different stages of wheat streak mosaic disease without significantly affecting the genomic RNA accumulation. WSMV 6K1 …

Thermal Tolerance And Physiology Of Eleutherodactylus Coqui Along An Elevational Gradient In Hawai‘I, Karen H. Beard, Susannah S. French, Jack Marchetti

Browse all Datasets

The purpose of this study was to determine if the thermal tolerance and physiology of the coqui frog changed along HawaiÔiÕs elevation gradient. A short acclimation experiment was used to test the baseline thermal tolerance and physiology, and an extended acclimation experiment to test the acclimation ability of the thermal tolerance and physiology metrics of the coqui frogs collected from low (m), medium (350-550 m) and high elevations (>750 m).

Exploring Materials For Carbon Capture: A Project-Based Lab For The First-Year Chemistry Course, Elise Eng

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The field of carbon capture, utilization, and storage is a popular area of research due to its connection to environmental issues and continually rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. To incorporate this important topic into the undergraduate chemistry curriculum, a test apparatus for CO2 capture was adapted for a 3-week, project-based lab designed to compare the efficacy of different capture materials. The experimental design of the apparatus is intuitive, using a gravimetric approach. It is also versatile, with the potential to test a variety of emerging materials for CO2 capture. The apparatus used does not require any expensive equipment, making it …

Exploring The Binding Of Anticancer Drug Bi-3802 With Dna Using Optical Tweezers, Jared Mcauliffe

Honors Program Theses and Projects

BI-3802 is a relatively new anticancer drug known to bind to the transcription repressor BCL6 which can lead to the regression of the most common form of cancer in the lymphatic system, B-cell lymphoma. Based on the structure of BI-3802 we believe this small molecule drug can bind to DNA through intercalation. Intercalators are a special type of molecule which have a flat planar section that can stack between DNA base pairs. In this study, we use Optical tweezers to trap a single DNA molecule in order to explore the binding of BI-3802 with DNA. Once we trap a single …

Holes Where People Go, Lucienne Quirk

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Holes Where People Go is a short story collection that explores an inaptitude to properly feel and process grief. Each narrator in the collection begins by avoiding the acknowledgement of their own grief and loss, even while they’re convincing themselves otherwise. When outside forces arise that confront and challenge their emotional stasis, there is a promise–yet never a certainty– that they may change. The titular hole, therefore, is not just a metaphor for the unnamed places lost people occupy in our subconscious, but also the defensive willingness to keep them there. This is where I feel this collection offers something …

Withdrawing Antipsychotics For Challenging Behaviours In Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: Experiences And Views Of Prescribers, G De Kuijper, J De Haan, S Deb, R Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

International current best practice recommends the discontinuation of antipsychotics for challenging behaviours in people with intellectual disabilities (ID), due to lack of evidence of efficacy and risks of harmful side-effects. In clinical practice, discontinuation may be difficult. The aim of this study was to gain insight into prescribers’ practice by investigating their experiences with the discontinuation of long-term antipsychotics for challenging behaviour. From professionals’ associations thirty-four registered ID physicians, psychiatrists and specialist mental healthcare nurses were recruited who completed an online questionnaire in this survey–study. Almost all participants had attempted to deprescribe antipsychotics for their patients with ID. Sixty-five percent …

Relationship Of Cognition And Alzheimer’S Disease With Gastrointestinal Tract Disorders: A Large-Scale Genetic Overlap And Mendelian Randomisation Analysis, Emmanuel O. Adewuyi, Eleanor K. O’Brien, Tenielle Porter, Simon M. Laws

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Emerging observational evidence suggests links between cognitive impairment and a range of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) disorders; however, the mechanisms underlying their relationships remain unclear. Leveraging large-scale genome-wide association studies’ summary statistics, we comprehensively assessed genetic overlap and potential causality of cognitive traits and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with several GIT disorders. We demonstrate a strong and highly significant inverse global genetic correlation between cognitive traits and GIT disorders — peptic ulcer disease (PUD), gastritis-duodenitis, diverticulosis, irritable bowel syndrome, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but not inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Further analysis detects 35 significant (p < 4.37 × 10 ^{− 5}) bivariate local genetic …