Digital Commons Network^™

Longitudinal Evaluation Of Serum Micrornas As Biomarkers For Neuroblastoma Burden And Therapeutic P53 Reactivation, Alan Van Goethem, Jill Deleu, Nurten Yigit, Celine Everaert, Myrthala Moreno-Smith, Sanjeev A Vasudevan, Fjoralba Zeka, Fleur Demuynck, Eveline Barbieri, Frank Speleman, Pieter Mestdagh, Jason Shohet, Jo Vandesompele, Tom Van Maerken

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Accurate assessment of treatment response and residual disease is indispensable for the evaluation of cancer treatment efficacy. However, performing tissue biopsies for longitudinal follow-up poses a major challenge in the management of solid tumours like neuroblastoma. In the present study, we evaluated whether circulating miRNAs are suitable to monitor neuroblastoma tumour burden and whether treatment-induced changes of miRNA abundance in the tumour are detectable in serum. We performed small RNA sequencing on longitudinally collected serum samples from mice carrying orthotopic neuroblastoma xenografts that were exposed to treatment with idasanutlin or temsirolimus. We identified 57 serum miRNAs to be differentially expressed …

Apoptosis Of Hematopoietic Stem Cells Contributes To Bone Marrow Suppression Following Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy, Jay A Read, Rayne H Rouce, Feiyan Mo, Maksim Mamonkin, Katherine Y King

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: CAR-T therapy represents a revolutionary treatment for patients with relapsed/refractory hematologic malignancies. However, its use can result in significant toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a potentially life-threatening clinical syndrome resulting from release of pro-inflammatory cytokines upon T cell activation. In addition, patients who develop CRS often experience prolonged cytopenias and those with the most severe CRS also have the greatest delay in full marrow recovery. While an association between CRS and delayed bone marrow recovery has been established, the precise mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unknown.

Objective: To test our hypothesis that delayed bone marrow recovery following CAR-T …

Longitudinal Changes In Fibrosis Markers Are Associated With Risk Of Cirrhosis And Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, George Cholankeril, Jennifer R Kramer, Jinna Chu, Xian Yu, Maya Balakrishnan, Liang Li, Hashem B El-Serag, Fasiha Kanwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Currently, there is no consistent information on the course of fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score changes in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or their association with subsequent risk of cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus, we aimed to evaluate the association between longitudinal changes in FIB-4 and subsequent risk of HCC and a composite endpoint of cirrhosis and HCC in patients with NAFLD.

METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with NAFLD seen in 130 Veterans Administration hospitals between 1/1/2004-12/31/2008, with follow-up through to 12/31/2018. We calculated FIB-4 longitudinally and categorized patients based on risk of advanced …

Crispr/Cas9 Screen Uncovers Functional Translation Of Cryptic Lncrna-Encoded Open Reading Frames In Human Cancer, Caishang Zheng, Yanjun Wei, Peng Zhang, Longyong Xu, Zhenzhen Zhang, Kangyu Lin, Jiakai Hou, Xiangdong Lv, Yao Ding, Yulun Chiu, Antrix Jain, Nelufa Islam, Anna Malovannaya, Yun Wu, Feng Ding, Han Xu, Ming Sun, Xi Chen, Yiwen Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Emerging evidence suggests that cryptic translation within long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) may produce novel proteins with important developmental/physiological functions. However, the role of this cryptic translation in complex diseases (e.g., cancer) remains elusive. Here, we applied an integrative strategy combining ribosome profiling and CRISPR/Cas9 screening with large-scale analysis of molecular/clinical data for breast cancer (BC) and identified estrogen receptor α-positive (ER+) BC dependency on the cryptic ORFs encoded by lncRNA genes that were upregulated in luminal tumors. We confirmed the in vivo tumor-promoting function of an unannotated protein, GATA3-interacting cryptic protein (GT3-INCP) encoded by LINC00992, the expression of which was …

The Pandemic Anxiety Inventory: A Validation Study, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Tasmyn Prytherch, Mark Cropley, Renzo Bianchi

Publications and Research

The Pandemic Anxiety Inventory (PAI) assesses anxiety symptoms individuals attribute to the presence of a pandemic. We conducted this study of 379 British adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and found that the PAI exhibited excellent reliability and solid criterion validity. Pandemic anxiety was associated with reduced social support, anticipated life changes, financial strain, job loss, economic insecurity, and the hospitalization or death of a close friend or relative. Using correlational and bifactor analyses, we found that the PAI demonstrated solid convergent and discriminant validity. The findings suggest that the PAI can be used in research and clinical practice.

An Improved Germline Genome Assembly For The Sea Lamprey Petromyzon Marinus Illuminates The Evolution Of Germline-Specific Chromosomes, Nataliya Timoshevskaya, Kaan İ. Eşkut, Vladimir A. Timoshevskiy, Sofia M.C. Robb, Carson Holt, Jon E. Hess, Hugo J. Parker, Cindy F. Baker, Allison K. Miller, Cody Saraceno, Mark Yandell, Robb Krumlauf, Shawn R. Narum, Ralph T. Lampman, Neil J. Gemmell, Jacquelyn Mountcastle, Bettina Haase, Jennifer R. Balacco, Giulio Formenti, Sarah Pelan, Ying Sims, Kerstin Howe, Olivier Fedrigo, Erich D. Jarvis, Jeramiah James Smith

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Programmed DNA loss is a gene silencing mechanism that is employed by several vertebrate and nonvertebrate lineages, including all living jawless vertebrates and songbirds. Reconstructing the evolution of somatically eliminated (germline-specific) sequences in these species has proven challenging due to a high content of repeats and gene duplications in eliminated sequences and a corresponding lack of highly accurate and contiguous assemblies for these regions. Here, we present an improved assembly of the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) genome that was generated using recently standardized methods that increase the contiguity and accuracy of vertebrate genome assemblies. This assembly resolves highly contiguous, somatically …

Chalcone Derivative Cx258 Suppresses Colorectal Cancer Via Inhibiting The Top2a/Wnt/Β-Catenin Signaling, Xi Chen, Xiaocheng Lv, Lijie Gao, Jiawei Liu, Wei Wang, Lichao Guo, Mykhaylo S. Frasinyuk, Wen Zhang, David S. Watt, Chunming Liu, Xifu Liu

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The deregulation in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is associated with many human cancers, particularly colorectal cancer (CRC) and, therefore, represents a promising target for drug development. We have screened over 300 semisynthetic and natural compounds using a Wnt reporter assay and identified a family of novel chalcone derivatives (CXs) that inhibited Wnt signaling and CRC cell proliferation. Among them, we selected CX258 for further in vitro and in vivo study to investigate the molecular mechanisms. We found that CX258 significantly inhibited β-catenin expression and nuclear translocation, inducing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase in CRC cells. Additionally, CX258 reduced …

Endogenous Glycoprotein Gpm6a Is Involved In Neurite Outgrowth In Rat Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons, Gabriela I. Aparicio, Antonella León, Rocío Gutiérrez Fuster, Baylen Ravenscraft, Paula V. Monje, Camila Scorticati

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

The peripheral nervous system (PNS) has a unique ability for self-repair. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons regulate the expression of different molecules, such as neurotrophins and their receptors, to promote axon regeneration after injury. However, the molecular players driving axonal regrowth need to be better defined. The membrane glycoprotein GPM6a has been described to contribute to neuronal development and structural plasticity in central-nervous-system neurons. Recent evidence indicates that GPM6a interacts with molecules from the PNS, although its role in DRG neurons remains unknown. Here, we characterized the expression of GPM6a in embryonic and adult DRGs by combining analysis of public …

Kegg_Pull: A Software Package For The Restful Access And Pulling From The Kyoto Encyclopedia Of Gene And Genomes, Erik D. Huckvale, Hunter N. B. Moseley

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Background: The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) provides organized genomic, biomolecular, and metabolic information and knowledge that is reasonably current and highly useful for a wide range of analyses and modeling. KEGG follows the principles of data stewardship to be findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) by providing RESTful access to their database entries via their web-accessible KEGG API. However, the overall FAIRness of KEGG is often limited by the library and software package support available in a given programming language. While R library support for KEGG is fairly strong, Python library support has been lacking. Moreover, there …

Effect Of Locally Injectable Platelet-Rich Plasma As An Adjunct To Scaling And Root Planing On Salivary Mmp-8 Level In Periodontitis Patients, Mohamed A. El-Sharabasy, Bassant Mowafey, Mohamed M. Anees, Azza A. Elbaiomy

Mansoura Journal of Dentistry

Objective: To assess the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) local injection in the treatment of periodontitis, as anadjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP).Materials and Methods: Ninety subjects were involved in this study. Theywere divided into 3 groups. Group I (negative control) included 30 subjects with healthy periodontium. Group II(positive control) included 30 periodontit is patients who were treated by SRP planing. Group III (study) included 30periodontitis patients who were treated with SRP and PRP injections. Plaque index (PI), Gingival index (GI), probingpocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) in addition to MMP-8 level recorded at baseline for all …

Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy Evaluation Of The Effect Of Lentulo Spiral And Ultrasonic Activation On Intra-Tubular Sealer Penetration, Marwa E. Mohammed, Alaa Eldin Elshazli, Amany E. Badr

Mansoura Journal of Dentistry

Objective: To evaluate the effect of lentulospiral and ultrasonic activation on the intra-tubular AH plus sealer penetrationusing confocal laser scanning microscopy.Materials and Methods: Twenty extracted single-rooted teeth werecollected; teeth were prepared up to ProTaper finishing file F4 (size 40). Teeth were randomly divided into two maingroups (n=10 teeth) according to activation techniques. The AH plus sealer with rhodamine B was activated bylentulospiral in group 1 and Irrisafe ultrasonic tip in group 2. The root canals were obturated with a single gutta-perchacone (size F4). The roots were sectioned at 3, 6, and 9 mm levels from the apex and examined with …

Invitro Evaluation Of Bioceramic Sealer Penetration In Radicular Dentin: A Confocal Microscopy Study, Mai A. Wahab, Mohammad O. Shawky, Amany E. Badr

Mansoura Journal of Dentistry

Objective: To assess the area of sealer penetration into dentinal tubules in different sections ofthe root canal using a confocal laser scanning microscope after irrigation with NaOCl and followed by ultrasonicactivation. Materials and Methods: Mandibular premolars were selected according to the inclusion criteria which are:single straight root canal or slightly curved, fully developed apex with patent foramina, no obstruction in the canalsystem or indication of internal and/or external resorption or signs of crack or fracture, then the teeth were prepared,irrigated using NaOCl, activated, and then filled with Meta Biomed CeraSeal Bioceramic sealer using a single coneobturation technique. Rhodamine B was …

Humanized Management, Fairness Perception And Health Of Merchant Ecosystem: Driving Mechanisms Of The Digital Age, Zeyong Zhuang

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In the era of digital transformation, the competition among individual enterprises has evolved into competition of business ecosystems, and the merchants in shopping malls have evolved from atomistic competition to ecological competition. Therefore, merchants must ensure the health of business ecosystems to establish competitive advantages. This study uses the survey data of merchants in five shopping malls in Guangzhou to empirically test the mechanism of the effect of humanized management on the health of business ecosystems in the context of digital transformation.

The empirical results show that: 1. Humanized management of shopping malls helps to build trust and loyalty, promote …

Sentinel Lymph Node Identification Using Contrast Lymphosonography: A Systematic Review, Priscilla Machado, Ji-Bin Liu, Flemming Forsberg

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

The sentinel lymph node (SLN) concept hypothesizes that metastatic cancer cells will spread through the lymphatic system to the SLN being the first one in the lymphatic chain to receive the metastatic cells, indicating that if the SLN is free of cancer cells the rest of the lymphatic chain is also without metastatic disease. Diagnostic ultrasound imaging (US) has been used to evaluate lymph nodes (LN) to determine level of suspicion and to guide LN biopsies. However, conventional US cannot be used for lymphatic mapping, which requires administration of a tracer. This has been changed with the use of contrast-enhanced …

Detection Of Microbial Growth In Aseptic Food Products Using Non-Invasive Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (Tdlas), Peter Myintzaw, Nicholas Brian Johnson, Máire Begley, Michael J. Callanan

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The sensitivity and reliability of Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS) for monitoring the growth of microorganisms in real food matrices was explored. The rapid and non-destructive TDLAS equipment uses laser light to monitor carbon dioxide changes due to microbial growth in the container head space which has the additional advantage of detecting contamination in products and packaging where visual inspection is not possible. TDLAS growth detection of Bacillus fengqiuensis, Candida albicans, Lactococcus lactis, Microbacterium luteolum, Paenibacillus chitinolyticus and Staphylococcus pasteuri was studied in various Ready To Feed (RTF) infant formula products. Detection of growth was correlated with cell numbers …

Developing An Observing Air-Sea Interactions Strategy (Oasis) For The Global Ocean, M. F. Cronin, S. Swart, C. A. Marandino, C. Anderson, P. Browne, S. Chen, W. R. Joubert, U. Schuster, R. Venkatesan, C. I. Addey, O. Alves, F. Ardhuin, S. Battle, M. A. Bourassa, Z. Chen, M. Chory, C. Clayson, R. B. De Souza, M. Du Plessis, M. Edmondson, J. B. Edson, S. T. Gille, J. Hermes, V. Hormann, S. A. Josey, M. Kurz, T. Lee, F. Maicu, E. H. Moustahfid, S. A. Nicholson, E. S. Nyadjro, J. Palter, R. G. Patterson, S. G. Penny, L. P. Pezzi, N. Pinardi

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The Observing Air-Sea Interactions Strategy (OASIS) is a new United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development programme working to develop a practical, integrated approach for observing air-sea interactions globally for improved Earth system (including ecosystem) forecasts, CO2 uptake assessments called for by the Paris Agreement, and invaluable surface ocean information for decision makers. Our "Theory of Change"relies upon leveraged multi-disciplinary activities, partnerships, and capacity strengthening. Recommendations from >40 OceanObs'19 community papers and a series of workshops have been consolidated into three interlinked Grand Ideas for creating #1: a globally distributed network of mobile air-sea observing platforms built around …

Sfd Indications And Technique: When And How To Use Sdf To Manage Caries Lesions, Margherita Fontana Dds, Phd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The aim of this article is to review indications for 38% SDF and the appropriate technique for use. Evidence-based recommendations by the American Dental Association and umbrella reviews of systematic reviews are summarized to provide indications for SDF use in primary and permanent teeth, including sound surfaces and those with non-cavitated and cavitated caries lesions. High-quality evidence supports that SDF is an effective treatment alternative for managing active cavitated coronal and root caries lesions and preventing root caries lesions. Dentists can help by incorporating SDF as an option into their caries prevention and management armamentarium and by helping to train …

Evolution Of Coronal Magnetic Field Parameters During X5.4 Solar Flare, Seth H. Garland, Benjamin F. Akers, Vasyl B. Yurchyshyn, Robert D. Loper, Daniel J. Emmons

Faculty Publications

The coronal magnetic field over NOAA Active Region 11,429 during a X5.4 solar flare on 7 March 2012 is modeled using optimization based Non-Linear Force-Free Field extrapolation. Specifically, 3D magnetic fields were modeled for 11 timesteps using the 12-min cadence Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager photospheric vector magnetic field data, spanning a time period of 1 hour before through 1 hour after the start of the flare. Using the modeled coronal magnetic field data, seven different magnetic field parameters were calculated for 3 separate regions: areas with surface |Bz| ≥ 300 G, areas of flare brightening seen …

The Vertic Clay Flora Of The San Joaquin Desert: Niche, Competition & Floral Mosaics On A Novel Substrate, Emma R. Fryer

Master's Theses

Plant communities that occur on edaphically heterogeneous landscapes are ideal systems for exploring questions of niche and community assembly. Species with affinity for harsh substrates often have well-defined edaphic niches and are ideal models for testing ecological and evolutionary theory. While plants on substrates such as serpentine and gypsum have received much attention, those on other harsh substrates, including on vertic clay soils, have gone unstudied. Vertic clay soils are both chemically and physically challenging to plant establishment and productivity. Plant communities associated with vertic clay soils of the San Joaquin Desert appear to have a distinctive mosaic pattern of …

Psf Sampling In Fluorescence Image Deconvolution, Eric A. Inman

Master's Theses

All microscope imaging is largely affected by inherent resolution limitations because of out-of-focus light and diffraction effects. The traditional approach to restoring the image resolution is to use a deconvolution algorithm to “invert” the effect of convolving the volume with the point spread function. However, these algorithms fall short in several areas such as noise amplification and stopping criterion. In this paper, we try to reconstruct an explicit volumetric representation of the fluorescence density in the sample and fit a neural network to the target z-stack to properly minimize a reconstruction cost function for an optimal result. Additionally, we do …

Single-Neuron Whole Genome Sequencing Identifies Increased Somatic Mutation Burden In Alzheimer's Disease Related Genes, Zongchang Li, Shishi Min, Ney Alliey-Rodriguez, Gina Giase, Lijun Cheng, David Wesley Craig, Geoffrey J. Faulkner, Huma Asif, Chunyu Liu

School of Medicine Publications

Accumulation of somatic mutations in human neurons is associated with aging and neurodegeneration. To shed light on the somatic mutational burden in Alzheimer's disease (AD) neurons and get more insight into the role of somatic mutations in AD pathogenesis, we performed single-neuron whole genome sequencing to detect genome-wide somatic mutations (single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and Indels) in 96 single prefrontal cortex neurons from 8 AD patients and 8 elderly controls. We found that the mutational burden is ∼3000 somatic mutations per neuron genome in elderly subjects. AD patients have increased somatic mutation burden in AD-related annotation categories, including AD risk …

Pharmacokinetic Consideration To Formulate Sustained Release Drugs: Understanding The Controlled Drug Diffusion Through The Body Compartment Of The Systemic Circulation And Tissue Medium-A Caputo Model, Ramanamoorthy Kandula, Rupali S. Jain, Sandhya Kandula, Surendranath Reddy B.

Baghdad Science Journal

The aim of this study is to provide an overview of various models to study drug diffusion for a sustained period into and within the human body. Emphasized the mathematical compartment models using fractional derivative (Caputo model) approach to investigate the change in sustained drug concentration in different compartments of the human body system through the oral route or the intravenous route. Law of mass action, first-order kinetics, and Fick's perfusion principle were used to develop mathematical compartment models representing sustained drug diffusion throughout the human body. To adequately predict the sustained drug diffusion into various compartments of the human …

Two Qtls Govern The Resistance To Sclerotinia Minor In An Interspecific Peanut Ril Population, Melina H. Rosso, Francisco J. De Blas, Alicia N. Massa, Claudio Oddino, Damian F. Giordano, Jose G. Seijo, Renee S. Arias, Juan H. Soave, Sara J. Soave, Mario I. Buteler, Marina Bressano

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Sclerotinia blight is a soilborne disease caused by Sclerotinia minor Jagger and can produce severe decrease in yield. Cultural management strategies and chemical treatment are not completely effective; therefore, growing peanut-resistant varieties is likely to be the most effective control method for this disease. Sclerotinia blight resistance has been identified in wild Arachis species and further transferred to peanut elite cultivars. To identify the genome regions conferring Sclerotinia blight resistance within a tetraploid genetic background, this study evaluated a population of recombinant inbred lines (RIL) with introgressed genes from three wild diploid species: A. cardenasii, A. correntina, and A. batizocoi. …

Implementing Inquiry Based Learning In Life Science Curriculum In Agricultural Education, Siera Meyer, Chance Kanode, Bryan Reiling, Nathan W. Conner, Christopher T. Stripling, Laura Young, Mathew Kreifels, Mark Balschweid

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

As Agricultural Education shifts to a more science-based curriculum to help fulfill shortcomings of the current United States science test scores, teachers implementing Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) is becoming more important. For Agriculture Educators to do this, training is necessary for both new and experienced educators. This study was conducted to gauge teacher attitudes toward and ability to integrate IBL in the classroom to meet these goals. Teacher knowledge was also assessed in four life science categories. Study results indicate that teachers have positive attitudes toward learning about IBL and implementing the model in the classrooms. Teachers also gained more content …

The Great Abdication, Chester Gary Dds, Jd

The New York State Dental Journal

Healthcare stakeholders abdicate their duty to provide quality general and oral healthcare to all populations when they fail to uptrain members of the general and oral healthcare workforce to meet accredited standards for the services rendered.

N Y State Dent J March 2023

The New York State Dental Journal

In the March 2023 issue, the reader will find the following feature articles:

• Students' Perceptions of Teaching Methods for First-Year Dental Students during COVID-19
• Platelet-derived Material for the treatment of Infrabony Periodontal Defects: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

This issue includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New York membership including: editorial and perspectives columns, legal, association activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

March 2023 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Hyperdontia In The Paraguayan Martha's Marked Gecko (Homonota Marthae: Phyllodactylidae: Squamata), Juan D. Daza, Emma C. Krakoski, Tony Gamble, Aaron M. Bauer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Are Avocados Toast? A Framework To Analyze Decision-Making For Emerging Epidemics, Applied To Laurel Wilt, Berea A. Etherton, Robin A. Choudhury, R. I. Alcalá-Briseño, Y. Xing, A. I. Plex Sulá, D. Carrillo, J. Wasielewski, L. L. Stelinski, K. A. Grogan, F. Ballen

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

CONTEXT

When emerging pathogens threaten global food security, collective actionfor disease management is key for protecting food systems. We evaluate how the informal exchange of information about epidemic and economic outcomes can influence the management decisions of individuals and the resulting epidemics, in the context of the avocado laurel wilt epidemic in south Florida.

OBJECTIVES

In scenario analyses, we addressed how socioeconomic networks, laurel wilt epidemic networks, policy incentive structures, and social behaviors combine to influence (a) information exchange across this region, (b) growers' decisions about disease management, and (c) epidemic spread and yield loss. We identified the scenarios …

Conformational Rearrangements In The Sensory Rcsf/Omp Complex Mediate Signal Transduction Across The Bacterial Cell Envelope, Sarah Rosemarie Lach Phd

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Timely detection and repair of envelope damage are paramount for bacterial survival. The Regulator of Capsule Synthesis (Rcs) stress response is a complex signaling cascade that monitors gram-negative cell envelope integrity and can transduce the stress signals across the multilayered envelope to regulate gene expression in the cytoplasm. The outer membrane (OM) lipoprotein RcsF is the sensory component, but how RcsF functions remains elusive. RcsF interacts with the β-barrel assembly machinery (Bam) complex, which assembles RcsF in complex with OM proteins (OMPs), resulting in RcsF’s partial cell surface exposure. RcsF can also interact with the periplasmic domain of the negative …