Digital Commons Network^™

Nutmeg: A Randomized Phase Ii Study Of Nivolumab And Temozolomide Versus Temozolomide Alone In Newly Diagnosed Older Patients With Glioblastoma., Hao-Wen Sim, Luke Wachsmuth, Elizabeth H Barnes, Sonia Yip, Eng-Siew Koh, Merryn Hall, Ross Jennens, David M Ashley, Roel G W Verhaak, Amy B Heimberger, Mark A Rosenthal, Elizabeth J Hovey, Benjamin M Ellingson, Annette Tognela, Hui K Gan, Helen Wheeler, Michael Back, Kerrie L Mcdonald, Anne Long, Katharine Cuff, Stephen Begbie, Craig Gedye, Anna Mislang, Hien Le, Margaret O Johnson, Benjamin Y Kong, John R Simes, Zarnie Lwin, Mustafa Khasraw

Faculty Research 2023

BACKGROUND: There is an immunologic rationale to evaluate immunotherapy in the older glioblastoma population, who have been underrepresented in prior trials. The NUTMEG study evaluated the combination of nivolumab and temozolomide in patients with glioblastoma aged 65 years and older.

METHODS: NUTMEG was a multicenter 2:1 randomized phase II trial for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma aged 65 years and older. The experimental arm consisted of hypofractionated chemoradiation with temozolomide, then adjuvant nivolumab and temozolomide. The standard arm consisted of hypofractionated chemoradiation with temozolomide, then adjuvant temozolomide. The primary objective was to improve overall survival (OS) in the experimental arm. …

Longitudinal Characteristics Of T2-Flair Mismatch In Idh-Mutant Astrocytomas: Relation To Grade, Histopathology, And Overall Survival In The Glass-Nl Cohort., Karin A Van Garderen, Wies R Vallentgoed, Anna Lavrova, Johanna M Niers, Wendy W J De Leng, Youri Hoogstrate, Iris De Heer, Bauke Ylstra, Erik Van Dijk, Stefan Klein, Kaspar Draaisma, Pierre A J T Robe, Roel G W Verhaak, Bart A Westerman, Pim J French, Martin J Van Den Bent, Mathilde C M Kouwenhoven, Johan M Kros, Pieter Wesseling, Marion Smits

Faculty Research 2023

BACKGROUND: The T2-FLAIR mismatch sign is defined by signal loss of the T2-weighted hyperintense area with Fluid-Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) on magnetic resonance imaging, causing a hypointense region on FLAIR. It is a highly specific diagnostic marker for IDH-mutant astrocytoma and is postulated to be caused by intercellular microcystic change in the tumor tissue. However, not all IDH-mutant astrocytomas show this mismatch sign and some show the phenomenon in only part of the lesion. The aim of the study is to determine whether the T2-FLAIR mismatch phenomenon has any prognostic value beyond initial noninvasive molecular diagnosis.

METHODS: Patients initially diagnosed …

The Promises Of Large Language Models For Protein Design And Modeling., Giorgio Valentini, Dario Malchiodi, Jessica Gliozzo, Marco Mesiti, Mauricio Soto-Gomez, Alberto Cabri, Justin Reese, Elena Casiraghi, Peter N Robinson

Faculty Research 2023

The recent breakthroughs of Large Language Models (LLMs) in the context of natural language processing have opened the way to significant advances in protein research. Indeed, the relationships between human natural language and the "language of proteins" invite the application and adaptation of LLMs to protein modelling and design. Considering the impressive results of GPT-4 and other recently developed LLMs in processing, generating and translating human languages, we anticipate analogous results with the language of proteins. Indeed, protein language models have been already trained to accurately predict protein properties, generate novel functionally characterized proteins, achieving state-of-the-art results. In this paper …

Genetic Background Influences The 5xfad Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model Brain Proteome., Cheyenne D Hurst, Amy R Dunn, Eric B Dammer, Duc M Duong, Sarah M Shapley, Nicholas T Seyfried, Catherine Kaczorowski, Erik C B Johnson

Faculty Research 2023

There is an urgent need to improve the translational validity of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mouse models. Introducing genetic background diversity in AD mouse models has been proposed as a way to increase validity and enable the discovery of previously uncharacterized genetic contributions to AD susceptibility or resilience. However, the extent to which genetic background influences the mouse brain proteome and its perturbation in AD mouse models is unknown. In this study, we crossed the 5XFAD AD mouse model on a C57BL/6J (B6) inbred background with the DBA/2J (D2) inbred background and analyzed the effects of genetic background variation on the …

Alcohol Consumption And Its Effects On The Liver, Eveline Weinreb

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Thousands of people die each year in the United States from alcohol related deaths. Why does the metabolism of alcohol cause severe damage to the body? Ethanol enters the body in the form of wine, and other alcoholic beverages and travels through the digestive system and then to the liver where it is metabolized. There are a series of steps involved in the breakdown of ethanol, and toxic byproducts are formed such as reactive oxygen species (ROS). These oxygen radicals can lead to damaged deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and to the formation of adducts. Chronic alcohol consumption can lead to liver …

Reduced Model For Female Endocrine Dynamics: Validation And Functional Variations, Erica Graham, Noémie Elhadad, David Albers

Mathematics Faculty Research and Scholarship

A normally functioning menstrual cycle requires significant crosstalk between hormones originating in ovarian and brain tissues. Reproductive hormone dysregulation may cause abnormal function and sometimes infertility. The inherent complexity in this endocrine system is a challenge to identifying mechanisms of cycle disruption, particularly given the large number of unknown parameters in existing mathematical models. We develop a new endocrine model to limit model complexity and use simulated distributions of unknown parameters for model analysis. By employing a comprehensive model evaluation, we identify a collection of mechanisms that differentiate normal and abnormal phenotypes. We also discover an intermediate phenotype—displaying relatively normal …

We Live In The Olden Days: Reflections On The Importance Of Scientific And Theological Humility, Steven L. Clark

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a unique perspective on truth. Our knowledge that Salvation likely involves participation in complex eternal activities requiring significantly more understanding than we currently possess naturally leads us to seek truth and, in addition, to seek an understanding of that truth. Under these circumstances, our inability to fully understand many truths, both revealed and discovered, can lead to confusion. A lack of complete understanding of accepted scientific truth generally leads the serious truth-seeker to enhanced investigative and educational efforts without doubting the ultimate veracity of the concept under investigation; we …

Mate Recognition In Genetically Distinct Populations Of The Eastern Red-Backed Salamander (Plethodon Cinereus), Courtney Thomas

Masters Theses

Lineages that have undergone genetic divergence and subsequently experience secondary contact present fascinating situations related to the potential for reproductive isolation. Within species hybrid zones provide unique opportunities to test the strength of reproductive barriers through behavioral experiments when genetic relatedness between groups is established. Among the complex interactions that operate to maintain species boundaries, mate recognition and mate choice are two behaviors that serve to promote evolutionary independence across diverse taxonomic lineages. I explored mate recognition in genetically distinct populations of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus, a small, abundant, terrestrial salamander with a widespread distribution throughout northeastern United …

2023 Spring And Winter - Schedule Of Classes, Office Of The Registrar, East Tennessee State University

Registration Resources

No abstract provided.

2023 Spring And Winter - Registration Guide, Office Of The Registrar, East Tennessee State University

Registration Resources

No abstract provided.

Clinical Trials Related To The Spine & Shoulder/Elbow: Rates, Predictors, & Reasons For Termination, Dennis Louis Caruana

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Clinical trials are key to the advancement of products and procedures related to musculoskeletal conditions. Unfortunately, many trials are terminated prior to completion. ClinicalTrials.gov is a registry and results database maintained by the National Library of Medicine that catalogs trial characteristics and tracks overall recruitment status (e.g., ongoing, completed, terminated) for each study as well as reasons for termination. Reasons for termination have not been specifically evaluated for musculoskeletal trials and those related to the spine and shoulder/elbow were selected for characterization and assessment of independent predictors of termination by comparing characteristics of completed and terminated trials.

The ClinicalTrials.gov database …

Multi-Omic Differences Between Right And Left Sided Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases, Montana Tremaine Morris

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death both in the United States and worldwide, making it an urgent area of investigation for the oncology community. The inferior survival of patients with right-sided colon cancer (RCC) compared to left (LCC), particularly in metastatic disease, as well as the resistance of RCC to certain targeted systemic therapies, represent clinically important features relevant to the development of improved targeted therapies for CRC. Given the high probability that there is a biological component underpinning the differing clinical behaviors of CRC across anatomic laterality, we conducted a multi-omic analysis on frozen …

Critical Race Theory And Florida Schools: An Attempt To Suppress Racism Embedded Within American History

Florida A & M University Law Review

“Our Constitution is colorblind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among its citizens.” Imagine that a public school student learns that the curriculum taught at their school about their culture and its history has just been banned. Further, they discover that the reasoning for the removal is the belief that the curriculum promotes reverse racism. Imagine this happening only to classes related to their culture and background, but similar courses teaching the history and experiences of other cultures remain untouched, unbanned, and unaddressed. History is the story of the past and tells us where we are, where we come from, …

Gattonrx Magazine - 2023, Bill Gatton College Of Pharmacy, East Tennessee State University

GattonRX Magazine

No abstract provided.

2023-2024 - Quillen College Of Medicine Operating Budget (October), Budget And Financial Planning, East Tennessee State University

College of Medicine Operating Budgets and Analysis

No abstract provided.

2023-2024 - Quillen College Of Medicine Operating Budget (July), Budget And Financial Planning, East Tennessee State University

College of Medicine Operating Budgets and Analysis

No abstract provided.

2023-2024 - Etsu General Academic Operating Budget (July), Budget And Financial Planning, East Tennessee State University

ETSU General Academic Operating Budgets and Analysis

No abstract provided.

2023-2024 - Etsu General Academic Operating Budget (October), Budget And Financial Planning, East Tennessee State University

ETSU General Academic Operating Budgets and Analysis

No abstract provided.

“Albertania” And “Egbenema”, Expanding Biodiversity In The Oculatellaceae (Cyanobacteria)., Mildred Akagha

Masters Theses

To conduct molecular studies of cyanobacteria of Lagos, Nigeria, a total of eight soil/subaerial samples were collected in Lagos State, Nigeria, and used to isolate cyanobacterial cultures that were characterized microscopically, sequenced, and phylogenetically analyzed. Within the resulting set of cultures, a number of Synechococcales were observed, particularly belonging to Oculatellaceae. “Egbenema” and two new putative species of the recently described genus Albertania were found. Both genera belong to a supported clade within the Oculatellaceae that includes Trichotorquatus and Komarkovaea. The two new putative species of Albertania, “A. egbensis” and “A. latericola”, were from the same sample, but phylogenetically were …

Dosimetric And Radiobiological Comparison Between Conventional And Hypofractionated Breast Treatment Plans Using The Halcyon System., Duong Thanh Tai, Luong Tien Phat, Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Huynh Van Tran Sang, Tran Minh Loc, Nguyen Xuan Hai, Peter A Sandwall, David Bradley, James C L Chow

Oncology Articles

PURPOSE: The objective of this research is to compare the efficacy of conventional and hypofractionated radiotherapy treatment plans for breast cancer patients, with a specific focus on the unique features of the Halcyon system.

METHODS AND MATERIALS: The study collected and analyzed dose volume histogram (DVH) data for two groups of treatment plans implemented using the Halcyon system. The first group consisted of 19 patients who received conventional fractionated (CF) treatment with a total dose of 50 Gy in 25 fractions, while the second group comprised 9 patients who received hypofractionated (HF) treatment with a total dose of 42.56 Gy …

Diagram Affordances And Their Impact On Students’ Answers About Rivers And Groundwater, Daniel R. Curtis

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Diagrams are important tools for conveying information in geoscience education. Choosing what imagery to use and assessing its effectiveness is not straightforward. A diagram needs sufficient affordances (i.e., details, dimension) for the viewers to comprehend the intended message without adding too many details that will confuse and distract the viewer. Prior research suggests that the viewer’s knowledge and experience impact how diagram affordances are interpreted. Understanding this interaction between knowledge, context, and diagram affordance is critical for education and assessment.To investigate how changes in affordances affect student interpretation of images, we surveyed undergraduate students (N = 201) in introductory Earth …

Investigating Sources Of Microplastics And Effects Of Plastic Pollution On Biofilm Function In The Huron River, Sadie Baker

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Plastics are a global environmental threat due to mass production and the many unknowns regarding the long-term effects of plastic pollution in the environment. Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles less than 5 mm in size, and they have become ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems. MPs enter aquatic ecosystems through non-point sources such as urbanization, runoff, or atmospheric fallout or through point-sources such as wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). To determine MP sources in the Huron River, we evaluated MP load (MPs/day) upstream and downstream from urban centers (Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti) and the Ann Arbor WWTP. The average MP load among sample …

The Effectiveness Of An Ehealth Family-Based Intervention Program In Patients With Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2dm) In The Community Via Wechat: Randomized Controlled Trial, Yuheng Feng, Yuxi Zhao, Linqi Mao, Minmin Gu, Hong Yuan, Jun Lu, Qi Zhang, Qian Zhao, Xiaohong Li

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Intervention based on family support and risk perception can enhance type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients’ self-care activities. In addition, eHealth education is considered to improve family members’ support for patients with T2DM. However, there is little evidence from rigorously designed studies on the effectiveness of an intervention combining these approaches.

Objective: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to assess the effectiveness of an eHealth family-based health education intervention for patients with T2DM to improve their glucose control, risk perception, and self-care behaviors.

Methods: This single-center, 2-parallel-group RCT was conducted between 2019 and 2020. Overall, 228 patients were recruited …

Guide To The Ageing Of Explosive Ordnance In The Environment, Geneva International Centre For Humanitarian Demining

Global CWD Repository

The aim of this guide is to give an overview of what is currently known about the ageing of explosive ordnance and the changes in risk that this presents to EOD operators. Analysis of ageing requires internal examination of the ordnance, a highly technical process sometimes referred to as ‘exploitation’. A brief introduction to exploitation is given in Chapter 1. Different explosive ordnance with differing designs have different predispositions to ageing; this is explained in Chapter 2. How various environmental factors affect the components of explosive ordnance is covered in Chapter 3, more specific changes are detailed in Chapter 4. …

2023-2024 Factbook, Tennessee. General Assembly

Factbook

This Fact Book provides an overview of the state's budget for the fiscal year.

Plant Viruses Of Agricultural Importance: Current And Future Perspectives Of Virus Disease Management Strategies, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Gary Hein

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Plant viruses cause significant losses in agricultural crops worldwide, affecting the yield and quality of agricultural products. The emergence of novel viruses or variants through genetic evolution and spillover from reservoir host species, changes in agricultural practices, mixed infections with disease synergism, and impacts from global warming pose continuous challenges for the management of epidemics resulting from emerging plant virus diseases. This review describes some of the most devastating virus diseases plus select virus diseases with regional importance in agriculturally important crops that have caused significant yield losses. The lack of curative measures for plant virus infections prompts the use …

New York State Rifle & Pistol Association V. Bruen, T.C. Lisle Whitman Ii

Tennessee Law Review

No abstract provided.

Doctrinal Destruction And Chevron's Extinction Debt, James Ming Chen

Florida State University Law Review

Chevron, the landmark Supreme Court case urging judicial deference to reasonable agency interpretations of vague or ambiguous statutes, has dominated federal administrative law since 1984. The sudden rise of the major questions doctrine, however, has destroyed Chevron’s jurisprudential habitat. Conservation biology suggests that habitat destruction is most devastating to dominant species, often imposing a biological “debt” that must be repaid through extinction. As with biology, so with law: “Major questions” having displaced agency deference, Chevron is doomed.

Post-Translational Modification Of Proteins Via Ambient Air Pollutants And Endogenous Reactive Species, Rachel Lauren Davey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Proteins can react with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) to form post-translational modifications (PTMs), which can affect protein structure and function. The formation of 3-nitrotyrosine (NTyr) and dityrosine (DiTyr) upon reaction of proteins with ROS/RNS are two common PTMs studied due to their stability and irreversibility, as well as their ability to enhance the allergenicity of pollen allergens upon formation. Many common techniques used to study the formation of these PTMs can reliably detect the PTMs but can only provide semi-quantitative information due to many assumptions and limitations. In Chapter 2 we present an analysis of …

Identifying The Role Of Phospholipase D1 And Phosphatidic Acid In Exocytosis, Broderick L. Bills

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Exocytosis is an essential process for intercellular communication in eukaryotic cells. This process involves significant changes in membrane curvature, and lipids and curvature-sensing proteins can assist these processes. One protein in particular, phospholipase D1 (PLD1), and its product, the lipid phosphatidic acid (PA), are involved in multiple exocytic processes. However, PLD1 and PA’s role in this process has remained unclear. In this work, PLD1 and the production of PA were visualized during exocytosis, and PA localization to regions of membrane curvature was established. Together, these results support the hypothesis that PLD1 production of PA stabilizes negative curvature during membrane fusion. …