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Roles Of The His-Purkinje System In Long Qt Syndrome Mediated Arrhythmias, Anthony Owusu-Mensah

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a genetic or drug-induced electrophysiological disorder in the heart that prolongs the QT interval on the electrocardiogram. LQTS is present in considerable proportions (1:3000 to 1:5000) of the general population. LQTS has a high incidence of malignant ventricular arrhythmias during physical and emotional stress and is a significant cause of sudden death in younger subjects. This poses a substantial medical burden on the healthcare system in terms of morbidity, mortality, and finances. Despite extensive genetic research into LQTS, the mechanisms underlying spontaneous initiation and maintenance of arrhythmias are not fully understood. Beta-blockers are the standard …

Cancer Drug-Tolerant Persister Cells: From Biological Questions To Clinical Opportunities, Mariangela Russo, Mengnuo Chen, Elisa Mariella, Haoning Peng, Sumaiyah K Rehman, Elena Sancho, Alberto Sogari, Tzen S Toh, Nathalie Q Balaban, Eduard Batlle, Rene Bernards, Mathew J Garnett, Matthew Hangauer, Eleonora Leucci, Jean-Christophe Marine, Catherine A O'Brien, Yaara Oren, E Elizabeth Patton, Caroline Robert, Susan M Rosenberg, Shensi Shen, Alberto Bardelli

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The emergence of drug resistance is the most substantial challenge to the effectiveness of anticancer therapies. Orthogonal approaches have revealed that a subset of cells, known as drug-tolerant 'persister' (DTP) cells, have a prominent role in drug resistance. Although long recognized in bacterial populations which have acquired resistance to antibiotics, the presence of DTPs in various cancer types has come to light only in the past two decades, yet several aspects of their biology remain enigmatic. Here, we delve into the biological characteristics of DTPs and explore potential strategies for tracking and targeting them. Recent findings suggest that DTPs exhibit …

Illegal, Unreported And Unregulated (Iuu) Fishing As Pathways To Human Trafficking: Navigating The Trafficked State Of Migrant Filipino Fishermen In J.W. Henley’S Migrante, Mary Harmony I. Guevarra

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

This study focuses on how J.W. Henley’s Migrante (2020) illustrates the synchroneity of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing to the human trafficking dynamics at sea, in which the maturation and onset of its male protagonist’s psychological and physiological damages confirm his trafficked state. This paper offers further scrutiny on the gendered footing of human trafficking and opens a reframing of its discourse. Migrante tells the painful story of Rizal, who finds employment in a fishing vessel on the shores of Su’ao, Taiwan; as his crew go about their routine at sea which is interspersed with illegal trades in the …

Ang Dalumat At Parikala Ng “Liwanag” At “Dilim” Sa Loob At Labas Ng Lente Ng Kamera (The Concepts And Paradoxes Of “Liwanag” And “Dilim” Within And Beyond The Camera Lens), Jay Jomar F. Quintos

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

Sinisiyasat ng sanaysay na ito ang dalumat at parikala na nakapaloob sa “liwanag” at “dilim” sa imahinasyong pangkultura sa Pilipinas. Sa ganang ito, tinutukoy ko ang iba’t ibang balon ng sanggunian tulad ng epiko, pasyon, materyal na pangrebolusyon, at pelikulang katatakutan upang matunton kung papaano nabago ang kayarian ng mga elemento ng “liwanag” at “dilim.” Susuriin ko ang anim na episodyo mula sa serye ng pelikulang katatakutang Shake, Rattle, and Roll na tahasang naghahayag ng “liwanag” at “dilim” sa paraan nito ng pag-iilaw at pagsasalaysay. Sa ganitong konteksto ng pagsusuri maaaring makita ang mariing artikulasyon at pag-unawa sa kung minsa’y …

Sukrita’S Yellow: A Kaleidoscope Of Timeless Poemlets, Girija Sharma

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

No abstract provided.

Return To Eden: God’S Design For Human Sexuality In The Song Of Songs, Richard M. Davidson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Deletion Of Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor Isoform Beta Or Gamma, But Not Alpha, Improves Clotting In Hemophilic Mice, Irem Eldem, Lilian Antunes-Heck, Renumathi Subramanian, Nina M Lasky, Katrina Ashworth, Jorge Di Paola, Thomas J Girard

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) regulates tissue factor-triggered coagulation. Humans and mice express transcripts encoding for multidistributed (endothelial, platelet, and plasma) 3-Kunitz domain TFPIα and endothelial membrane-anchored 2-Kunitz TFPIβ. Mice express a third transcript, γ, that encodes plasma lipoprotein-associated 2-Kunitz TFPI. In humans, proteolysis of α and/or β produces plasma lipoprotein-associated 2-Kunitz TFPI at lower levels. In clinical trials, monoclonal antibodies that target all TFPI isoforms extend coagulation and correct bleeding in hemophilic patients but with some thrombosis risks.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of TFPI isoform-specific deletions on promoting clotting in hemophilic mice.

METHODS: Engineered TFPI isoform-specific, hemophilic …

Research Update - October 2024, Office Of Research

Research Update

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Forces Applied To Tissues During Robotic-Assisted Surgical Tasks Using A Novel Force Feedback Technology, Michael M Awad, Mathew C Raynor, Mika Padmanabhan-Kabana, Lana Y Schumacher, Jeffrey A Blatnik

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The absence of force feedback (FFB) is considered a technical limitation in robotic-assisted surgery (RAS). This pre-clinical study aims to evaluate the forces applied to tissues using a novel integrated FFB technology, which allows surgeons to sense forces exerted at the instrument tips.

METHODS: Twenty-eight surgeons with varying experience levels employed FFB instruments to perform three robotic-assisted surgical tasks, including retraction, dissection, and suturing, on inanimate or ex-vivo models, while the instrument sensors recorded and conveyed the applied forces to the surgeon hand controllers of the robotic system. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) models were used to analyze the mean …

Neutrosophic Approach To Water Quality Assessment: A Case Study Of Gomati River, The Largest River In Tripura, India, Ajoy Kanti Das, Nandini Gupta, Carlos Granados, Rakhal Das, Suman Das

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

This study addresses the complexity of assessing river water quality, a multifaceted process influenced by numerous water quality parameters (WQPs) characterized by inherent uncertainties and diverse judgment information from decision-makers. These uncertainties and diverse judgment information can be effectively represented and simulated using Neutrosophic sets. In this study, we propose an effective water pollution rating system, the Neutrosophic water quality index (NWQI), to derive a water pollution score (NWQI-score) for rating water pollution levels. We demonstrate the application of our methodology through an assessment of water quality indices for rating pollution in the Gomati River, the largest river in Tripura, …

Global Strategic Preparedness And Response Plan Launched By Who To Contain Mpox Outbreak

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Metagenomic Study Of The Mesa: Detection Of Gemella Morbillorum And Association With Coronary Heart Disease, Kent D Taylor, Alexis C Wood, Jerome I Rotter, Xiuqing Guo, David M Herrington, W Craig Johnson, Wendy S Post, Russell P Tracy, Stephen S Rich, Shaista Malik

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Inflammation is a feature of coronary heart disease (CHD), but the role of proinflammatory microbial infection in CHD remains understudied.

METHODS AND RESULTS: CHD was defined in the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) as myocardial infarction (251 participants), resuscitated arrest (2 participants), and CHD death (80 participants). We analyzed sequencing reads from 4421 MESA participants in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine program using the PathSeq workflow of the Genome Analysis Tool Kit and a 65-gigabase microbial reference. Paired reads aligning to 840 microbes were detected in >1% of participants. The association of the …

Stareg: Statistical Replicability Analysis Of High Throughput Experiments With Applications To Spatial Transcriptomic Studies, Yan Li, Xiang Zhou, Rui Chen, Xianyang Zhang, Hongyuan Cao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Replicable signals from different yet conceptually related studies provide stronger scientific evidence and more powerful inference. We introduce STAREG, a statistical method for replicability analysis of high throughput experiments, and apply it to analyze spatial transcriptomic studies. STAREG uses summary statistics from multiple studies of high throughput experiments and models the the joint distribution of p-values accounting for the heterogeneity of different studies. It effectively controls the false discovery rate (FDR) and has higher power by information borrowing. Moreover, it provides different rankings of important genes. With the EM algorithm in combination with pool-adjacent-violator-algorithm (PAVA), STAREG is scalable to datasets …

Considerations For Reporting Variants In Novel Candidate Genes Identified During Clinical Genomic Testing, Jessica X Chong, Seth I Berger, Samantha Baxter, Erica Smith, Changrui Xiao, Daniel G Calame, Megan H Hawley, E Andres Rivera-Munoz, Stephanie Ditroia, Genomics Research To Elucidate The Genetics Of Rare Diseases (Gregor) Consortium, Michael J Bamshad, Heidi L Rehm

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Since the first novel gene discovery for a Mendelian condition was made via exome sequencing, the rapid increase in the number of genes known to underlie Mendelian conditions coupled with the adoption of exome (and more recently, genome) sequencing by diagnostic testing labs has changed the landscape of genomic testing for rare diseases. Specifically, many individuals suspected to have a Mendelian condition are now routinely offered clinical ES. This commonly results in a precise genetic diagnosis but frequently overlooks the identification of novel candidate genes. Such candidates are also less likely to be identified in the absence of large-scale gene …

The Intersection Of Place And Game Design: The Case Of Two Classic African Board Games, Rebecca Y. Bayeck, Joseph M. Bayeck

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

The concept of game design is often associated with a computational creative task or a creation with technology. Automatically linking game design to computational activity or technology may have contributed to the scarce research on the interaction between place and game design. The focus on technology may have excluded indigenous games from game design conversation in the game design literature. This article explores design in the context of two classic African board games. We examine the influence of place on the design of these games. Building on game design and place literature, the article shows the situatedness of game design …

Galectin 3-Binding Protein (Lgals3bp) Depletion Attenuates Hepatic Fibrosis By Reducing Transforming Growth Factor-Β1 (Tgf-Β1) Availability And Inhibits Hepatocarcinogenesis, Dae-Hwan Kim, Minjeong Sung, Myong-Suk Park, Eun-Gene Sun, Sumin Yoon, Kyung Hyun Yoo, Kamalakannan Radhakrishnan, Sung Yun Jung, Woo-Kyun Bae, Sang-Hee Cho, Ik-Joo Chung

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Increased Galectin 3-binding protein (LGALS3BP) serum levels have been used to assess hepatic fibrosis stages and the severity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Considering the crucial role of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the emergence of these diseases, the present study tested the hypothesis that LGALS3BP regulates the TGF-β1 signaling pathway.

Methods: The expression levels of LGALS3BP and TGFB1 were analyzed in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and HCC. Multiple omics techniques, such as RNA-sequencing, transposase-accessible chromatin-sequencing assay, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry proteomics, were used to identify the regulatory mechanisms for the LGALS3BP-TGF-β1 axis. The effects of altered …

Targeting Snai1-Mediated Colorectal Cancer Chemoresistance And Stemness By Sphingosine Kinase 2 Inhibition, Harinarayanan Janakiraman, Zachary Gao, Yun Zhu, Jiangling Dong, Scott A Becker, Alhaji Janneh, Besim Ogretmen, E Ramsay Camp

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cancer stem cells (CSCs), and colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy resistance are closely associated. Prior reports have demonstrated that sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) supports stem cells and maintains the CSC phenotype. We hypothesized that the EMT inducer SNAI1 drives S1P signaling to amplify CSC self-renewal capacity and chemoresistance.

METHODS: CRC cell lines with or without ectopic expression of SNAI1 were used to study the role of S1P signaling as mediators of cancer stemness and 5-fluorouracil (5FU) chemoresistance. The therapeutic ability of sphingosine kinase 2 (SPHK2) was assessed using siRNA and ABC294640, a SPHK2 inhibitor. CSCs were isolated from patient-derived …

A Modular Chemigenetic Calcium Indicator For Multiplexed In Vivo Functional Imaging, Helen Farrants, Christian Monroy Hernandez, Yao Chen, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Genetically encoded fluorescent calcium indicators allow cellular-resolution recording of physiology. However, bright, genetically targetable indicators that can be multiplexed with existing tools in vivo are needed for simultaneous imaging of multiple signals. Here we describe WHaloCaMP, a modular chemigenetic calcium indicator built from bright dye-ligands and protein sensor domains. Fluorescence change in WHaloCaMP results from reversible quenching of the bound dye via a strategically placed tryptophan. WHaloCaMP is compatible with rhodamine dye-ligands that fluoresce from green to near-infrared, including several that efficiently label the brain in animals. When bound to a near-infrared dye-ligand, WHaloCaMP shows a 7× increase in fluorescence …

Changes In Conjunctival Mononuclear Phagocytes And Suppressive Activity Of Regulatory Macrophages In Desiccation Induced Dry Eye, Jehan Alam, Ebru Yaman, Cintia S De Paiva, De-Quan Li, Gerda Cristal Villalba Silva, Zhen Zuo, Stephen C Pflugfelder

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of dry eye on conjunctival immune cell number and transcriptional profiles with attention to mononuclear phagocytes.

Methods: Expression profiling was performed by single-cell RNA sequencing on sorted conjunctival immune cells from non-stressed and C57BL/6 mice subjected to desiccating stress (DS). Monocle 3 modeled cell trajectory, scATAC-seq assessed chromatin accessibility and IPA identified canonical pathways. Inflammation and goblet cells were measured after depletion of MRC1+ MΦs with mannosylated clodronate liposomes.

Results: Mononuclear phagocytes (monocytes, MΦs, DCs) comprised 72 % of immune cells and showed the greatest changes with DS. Distinct DS induced gene expression patterns were …

Does Delaying Levodopa Prevent Motor Complications In Parkinson's Disease? A Meta-Analysis, Luis Guilherme Ramanzini, Julia M Frare, Luís F M Camargo, Juliana O F Silveira, Joseph Jankovic

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: There has been a long debate whether delaying treatment with levodopa prevents motor complications in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Objectives: We performed a meta-analysis on randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that compared early- versus delayed-start treatment with levodopa in PD.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases from inception to July 1, 2023. Only RCTs that compared early and delayed levodopa treatment in PD were included. Non-randomized comparisons from follow-up studies were included as well. Our primary outcomes were occurrence of overall motor complications, motor fluctuations, and dyskinesias.

Results: Seven studies with a total …

Creating Sustainable School And Home Gardens: Using Trail Cameras, Kaitlin Campbell, Kathy Cabe Trundle, Rita Hagevik

All Current Publications

Trail cameras (also called game or wildlife cameras) have been used for decades to document wildlife for personal use, education, and scientific use (documenting distributions of animals worldwide for conservation). Using a trail camera can allow us to see the biodiversity around us. Trail cameras are often used to help conserve and monitor wildlife populations. You can participate in these efforts too!

Dna Vaccines Against Gprc5d Synergize With Pd-1 Blockade To Treat Multiple Myeloma, Praveen Neeli, Perry Ayn Mayson A Maza, Dafei Chai, Dan Zhao, Xen Ping Hoi, Keith Syson Chan, Ken H Young, Yong Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Multiple myeloma (MM), a hematological malignancy of the bone marrow, remains largely incurable. The orphan G protein-coupled receptor, GPRC5D, which is uniquely expressed in plasma cells and highly expressed in MM, is a compelling candidate for immunotherapy. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a combination of DNA vaccine encoding mouse GPRC5D and PD-1 blockade in preventing and treating MM using the 5TGM1 murine model of MM. The mouse vaccine alone was effective in preventing myeloma growth but required PD-1 antibodies to inhibit established MM tumors. We next evaluated the prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy of a nanoplasmid vector encoding …

What Would Happen In The United States If There Were No Cow Milk-Based Preterm Infant Nutritional Products: Historical Perspective And Evaluation Of Nutrient-Related Challenges, Steven A Abrams, Robert J Shulman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Recent litigation has led to a situation where preterm cow milk-based infant nutritional products (PCMBPs) may soon have limited or no availability in the United States. Given their limited availability, similar products based only on human milk are unlikely to meet the needs of most preterm infants requiring such products, especially those born >1500 g or very preterm infants born at < 1500 g after they reach 34-35 wk postmenstrual age. Alternative nutritional strategies, used before the introduction of specialized preterm products, would require modular nutrient additions to a formula designed for full-term infants and donor or maternal milk. The addition of modular products would require careful calibration to provide needed macro and micronutrients which would expose infants to risks of contamination, poor growth, and limited bioavailability of some of these modulars. Substantial risks of metabolic derangements, and ultimately, poor outcomes would occur. In the long-term greater availability and support for the use of human milk-based products is needed. However, policymakers cannot assume that PCMBPs will not be critically needed and should identify strategies for their continued marketplace availability.

The Fallacy Of Electronic Cigarettes For Tobacco Dependence, Harold J Farber, Carlos Rábade Castedo, Carlos A Jimenez-Ruiz, Manuel Conrado Pacheco

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Novel Genes Of The Male Reproductive System: Potential Roles In Male Reproduction And As Non-Hormonal Male Contraceptive Targets, Thomas X Garcia, Martin M Matzuk

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The development of novel non-hormonal male contraceptives represents a pivotal frontier in reproductive health, driven by the need for safe, effective, and reversible contraceptive methods. This comprehensive review explores the genetic underpinnings of male fertility, emphasizing the crucial roles of specific genes and structural variants (SVs) identified through advanced sequencing technologies such as long-read sequencing (LRS). LRS has revolutionized the detection of structural variants and complex genomic regions, offering unprecedented precision and resolution over traditional next-generation sequencing (NGS). Key genetic targets, including those implicated in spermatogenesis and sperm motility, are highlighted, showcasing their potential as non-hormonal contraceptive targets. The review …

Dopamine-Mediated Interactions Between Short- And Long-Term Memory Dynamics, Cheng Huang, Junjie Luo, Seung Je Woo, Lucas A Roitman, Jizhou Li, Vincent A Pieribone, Madhuvanthi Kannan, Ganesh Vasan, Mark J Schnitzer

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In dynamic environments, animals make behavioural decisions on the basis of the innate valences of sensory cues and information learnt about these cues across multiple timescales

Venom Immunization: Igg/Ige Titers, Safety, Risk, And Methods Of The Viprbitem Cohort, Brian P. Hanley, Gustavo Gross

School of Medicine Publications

Background: This is the first study to examine a cohort that engages in the practice of immunization with snake venoms. In this practice, either fresh wet venom or venom reconstituted from freeze-dried form is used in vaccination protocols to produce hyper-immunity to venom.

Methods: This is a retrospective community-initiated collaborative research (CICR) project that collated the records of venom immunization. Records of schedules, formulations, photographs, medical records, and diaries were collated from existing practitioners and evaluated by inspection and interviews. One accidental bite was observed over 3 days, with vital signs, and photographic records of swelling taken to verify reality …

Assessment Of Endotracheal Tube Cuff Pressure In Reducing Postoperative Hoarseness Of Voice And Sore Throat After General Anesthesia, Ruaa Al-Juboori, Ali Abdalhameed

Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Postoperative hoarseness of voice and sore throat are most common undesirable outcome at postoperative period. They are attributed to mucosal dehydration or edema, tracheal ischemia due to relatively high cuff pressure during endotracheal intubation. However, other demographic and perioperative factors could also have their own influence. Our study aimed to assess the cuff pressure with the incidence of postoperative hoarseness and sore throat.This experimental clinical trial included (60) consecutive adult patients undergoing elective surgery who required endotracheal intubation. The patients were divided into two equal groups according to cuff pressure: with low cuff pressure (25 cmH2O) and high cuff pressure …

Privacy Law’S Role In An Information Economy, Sari Mazzurco

Cardozo Law Review

What do we lose when we lose our privacy? A slew of recently enacted state laws suggest that the loss of privacy is merely a loss of individual choice in the market exchange of services for personal information. This Article argues that a loss of privacy risks something greater: the collapse of complex and fluid social identity. Without privacy, individuals cannot nurture their own senses of self because they are no longer free to try on different social roles across diverse relationships. Pervasive, private data collection threatens multifaceted selfhood by eliminating the boundaries that make social roles distinct and hindering …

Endosomal Fusion Of Ph-Dependent Enveloped Viruses Requires Ion Channel Trpm7, Catherine A Doyle, Marta E Stremska, Louis-Marie Bloyet, Cassandra E Thompson, Paul W Rothlauf, Sean P J Whelan, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The majority of viruses classified as pandemic threats are enveloped viruses which enter the cell through receptor-mediated endocytosis and take advantage of endosomal acidification to activate their fusion machinery. Here we report that the endosomal fusion of low pH-requiring viruses is highly dependent on TRPM7, a widely expressed TRP channel that is located on the plasma membrane and in intracellular vesicles. Using several viral infection systems expressing the envelope glycoproteins of various viruses, we find that loss of TRPM7 protects cells from infection by Lassa, LCMV, Ebola, Influenza, MERS, SARS-CoV-1, and SARS-CoV-2. TRPM7 ion channel activity is intrinsically necessary to …