Digital Commons Network^™

Cancer Organoids As Reliable Disease Models To Drive Clinical Development Of Novel Therapies, Giovanni Blandino, Ronit Satchi-Fainaro, Ingeborg Tinhofer, Giovanni Tonon, Sarah C Heilshorn, Yong-Jun Kwon, Ana Pestana, Carlotta Frascolla, Luca Pompili, Aurora Puce, Sara Iachettini, Annalisa Tocci, Sofia Karkampouna, Marianna Kruithof-De Julio, Piera Tocci, Nicla Porciello, Klizia Maccaroni, Daniela Rutigliano, Xiling Shen, Gennaro Ciliberto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

On September 23-24 (2024) the 6th Workshop IRE on Translational Oncology, titled "Cancer Organoids as Reliable Disease Models to Drive Clinical Development of Novel Therapies," took place at the IRCCS Regina Elena Cancer Institute in Rome. This prominent international conference focused on tumor organoids, bringing together leading experts from around the world.A central challenge in precision oncology is modeling the dynamic tumor ecosystem, which encompasses numerous elements that evolve spatially and temporally. Patient-derived 3D culture models, including organoids, explants, and engineered or bioprinted systems, have recently emerged as sophisticated tools capable of capturing the complexity and diversity of cancer cells …

Bayesian Semiparametric Inference In Longitudinal Metabolomics Data, Abhra Sarkar, Ornella Cominetti, Ivan Montoliu, Joanne Hosking, Jonathan Pinkney, Francois Pierre Martin, David B. Dunson

Peninsula Medical School

The article is motivated by an application to the EarlyBird cohort study aiming to explore how anthropometrics and clinical and metabolic processes are associated with obesity and glucose control during childhood. There is interest in inferring the relationship between dynamically changing and high-dimensional metabolites and a longitudinal response. Important aspects of the analysis include the selection of the important set of metabolites and the accommodation of missing data in both response and covariate values. With this motivation, we propose a flexible but parsimonious Bayesian semiparametric joint model for the outcome and the covariate generating processes, making novel use of nonparametric …

Muramyl Peptide Blend Ameliorates Intestinal Inflammation And Barrier Integrity In Caco-2 Cells, Dmytro M. Masiuk, Victor S. Nedzvetsky, Giyasettin Baydas

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Intestinal barrier function depends on epithelial adhesion, which restricts permeability and microbial invasion from the internal environment. Impairment of barrier integrity and gut function is closely linked to pro-inflammatory changes. Inflammation is often the primary factor that provokes gut function disorders. The anti-inflammatory potential of postbiotics has been reported in recent years. Muramyl peptides (MPs) are small signaling molecules that stimulate intracellular pathogen receptors and can regulate cell responses. However, the molecular mechanisms of MPs' effects on intestinal cells remain unknown. The study of MPs treatment on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged Caco-2 intestinal cells aimed to investigate the postbiotic effects on intestinal …

A River Of Resilience: Navigating Water Governance In The Colorado River Basin

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper explores how climate change, the Southwestern North American megadrought, rapid population growth, the overallocation of water entitlements, and excessive consumption impact the Colorado River Basin’s water supply. The Colorado River basin will not be able to sustain its water supply for the forty million people depending on it across the seven basin states– Arizona, Colorado, California, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, and Wyoming– in addition to the two Mexican states, Sonora and Baja California unless consumption is reduced to regulate the basin’s decreasing supply. Despite its critical role in supplying water to millions of people and the challenges posed …

Prolonged Cardiopulmonary Bypass Time-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction Via Glypican-1 Shedding, Inflammation, And Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 In Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery, Shiyi Li, Katherine V Nordick, Iván Murrieta-Álvarez, Randall P Kirby, Rishav Bhattacharya, Ismael Garcia, Camila Hochman-Mendez, Todd K Rosengart, Kenneth K Liao, Nandan K Mondal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: A prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time of over 180 min is linked to poorer outcomes and higher mortality in cardiac surgery. This study examines how glypican-1 shedding, matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), and the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β may contribute to endothelial dysfunction in patients undergoing on-pump surgery with an extended CPB.

METHODS: Fifty-one patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures were divided into two groups based on the intraoperative CPB duration: (i) normal CPB (<180 >min,

RESULTS: Before surgery, the plasma levels of glypican-1, MMP9, and IL-1β were comparable between the normal CPB and the prolonged CPB groups. However, after the end …

Integrating Rehabilitation Services Into Routine Care Of Rheumatoid Arthritis May Reduce The Inflammatory Response: A Hospital-Based Follow-Up Study In Taiwan, Hui-Ju Huang, Wei-Jen Chen, Hanoch Livneh, Hua-Lung Huang, Ming-Chi Lu, Tzung-Yi Tsai, Multiple Additional Authors

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background and Objectives:

For persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the accompanying systemic inflammatory conditions often insidiously damage extra-glandular organs, causing poor outcomes. Despite evidence manifesting the application of rehabilitation services (RSs), the association between RSs use and changes in the inflammatory response among persons with RA has not yet been established. With that in mind, this study aimed to evaluate changes in C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) before and after long-term RSs use.

Materials and Methods:

For this two-group pre and posttest study, medical data of 4505 persons with RA aged 20–70 years between 2012 and 2017 …

Visualizing Parcel-Level Lead Risk Using An Exterior Housing-Based Index., Neal J. Wilson, Ryan Allenbrand, Elizabeth Friedman, Kevin Kennedy, Amy Roberts, Stephen Simon

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Pediatric lead poisoning remains a persistent public health problem. Children in the US spend the preponderance of their time at home; thus, housing is an important social determinant of health. Improving health outcomes derived from housing-based sources involves differentiating the risks posed by the existing housing stock. In this paper, we developed a parcel-level lead risk index (LRI) based on external housing conditions and the year of home construction. The purpose of this study was to introduce a housing-based lead risk index (LRI), developed using retrospective data, to estimate parcel-by-parcel variation in housing-based lead risk. We described how the LRI …

Weaving Our Kuwentos (Stories) Toward Ginhawa (Aliveness): Pilipinx American Social Work Motherscholars Enacting Praxes Of Survival And Thrivance In The Academy, Joanna C. La Torre, Lalaine Sevillano, Lisa Reyes Mason, Alma M. Ouanesisouk Trinidad, Cora De Leon

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Five Pilipina American (PA) social work MotherScholars, from a doctoral student to an interim dean, used kuwentuhan (Pilipinx methodology) to amplify their survivance and thrivance despite attempted exclusion, reduction, and distortion as Pilipinos by coloniality/modernity. Grounded in decolonial feminism (the view that oppressions such as sexism and racism co-constitute coloniality and that unsettling oppressions disrupts hegemony) and Pinayism (an integrated framework revaluing the labor, intellect, and nurturance of mothering through a cultural lens), the authors work coalitionally across their PA diversity to re-center ginhawa (aliveness or sense of ease and wellness). Together, they embarked on an iterative self-study process of …

A Constitutional Right To Exclude Evidence, Colin Miller

Texas A&M Law Review

The Supreme Court has held that criminal defendants have a constitutional right to introduce evidence and a constitutional right to receive evidence, but it has never recognized a constitutional right to exclude evidence. Specifically, the Supreme Court has issued numerous rulings finding that the Due Process Clause demands that (1) defendants have the right to present a defense that trumps the rules of evidence; (2) the prosecution must disclose material exculpatory evidence to the defense; (3) the State has certain duties to preserve evidence so that it can be disclosed to the defense; and (4) any discovery obligations on defendants …

Is Increased Mutation Driving Genetic Diversity In Dogs Within The Chornobyl Exclusion Zone?, Megan N. Dillon, Allison N. Dickey, Reade B. Roberts, Jennifer A. Betz, Timothy Mousseau, Norman J. Kleiman, Matthew Breen

Faculty Publications

Environmental contamination can have lasting impacts on surrounding communities, though the long-term impacts can be difficult to ascertain. The disaster at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986 and subsequent remediation efforts resulted in contamination of the local environment with radioactive material, heavy metals, and additional environmental toxicants. Many of these are mutagenic in nature, and the full effect of these exposures on local flora and fauna has yet to be understood. Several hundred free-roaming dogs occupy the contaminated area surrounding the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and previous studies have highlighted a striking level of genetic differentiation between two geographically …

Is Increased Mutation Driving Genetic Diversity In Dogs Within The Chornobyl Exclusion Zone?, Megan N. Dillon, Allison N. Dickey, Reade B. Roberts, Jennifer A. Betz, Timothy Mousseau, Norman J. Kleiman, Matthew Breen

Faculty Publications

Environmental contamination can have lasting impacts on surrounding communities, though the long-term impacts can be difficult to ascertain. The disaster at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986 and subsequent remediation efforts resulted in contamination of the local environment with radioactive material, heavy metals, and additional environmental toxicants. Many of these are mutagenic in nature, and the full effect of these exposures on local flora and fauna has yet to be understood. Several hundred free-roaming dogs occupy the contaminated area surrounding the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and previous studies have highlighted a striking level of genetic differentiation between two geographically …

Evaluating The Potential Of Herbal Extracts As Treatment In Immune Thrombocytopenia: A Review Of Evidence And Limitations, Russel Wiggins, Jihoo Woo, John Nicholas Cauba, Shizue Mito

School of Medicine Publications

Immune thrombocytopenia, formerly idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP), is an autoimmune disease characterized by the depletion of platelets below 100,000/µL when other causes of thrombocytopenia have been ruled out. It is associated with several infectious pathologies, disease states, and as a known side effect and complication of several drugs and chemotherapies. Standard treatment calls for glucocorticoid-mediated immunosuppression, intravenous immunoglobin transfusion, platelet stimulation, platelet transfusion, and splenectomy in instances of chronic and severe disease. While standard treatments are often effective, some cases prove resistant, and more commonly, some patients are unable to tolerate standard treatment protocols or opt out of surgical intervention. …

Redo Minimally Invasive Right Atrial Mass Removal After Surgical Atrial Septal Defect Closure, Chirag Doshi, Pratyaksha Rana, Vidur Bansal, Megha M Sheth, Dinesh Patel

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Atrial septal defects are among the most prevalent congenital anomalies necessitating surgical intervention. Thrombus formation is a recognized complication that is typically characterized by an embolic event following patch-based repair. However, thromboembolic complications following primary repair of atrial septal defects are exceedingly uncommon.

Minimally invasive surgery is a suitable alternative to redo sternotomy. We present a 46-year-old man who was diagnosed with a right atrial mass eight years following the patch repair of an atrial septal defect and underwent a successful minimally invasive redo surgery.

Zilebesiran And Hypertension: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mohamed Lemine, Saif Almuzainy, Rayan Aljubeh, Ahmad Alilo

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Abstract: Objectives: Zilebesiran is an investigational RNA interference therapeutic designed to lower blood pressure by targeting the hepatic production of angiotensinogen, the most upstream precursor of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. This approach aims to offer long-lasting blood pressure control with potentially fewer doses compared to traditional antihypertensive medications. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the antihypertensive efficacy of zilebesiran in patients with hypertension. Methods: We conducted a search across PubMed, Cochrane Library, Ovid, EBSCO, up until July 2024. The eligible studies included randomized controlled trials that examined Zilebesiran versus placebo in hypertensive patients. These studies …

Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, And In Vitro Evaluation Of Hydroxythioxanthone Derivatives As Antimalarial Agents, Faris Hermawan, Jumina Jumina, Teni Ernawati, Puji Budi Setia Asih, Ismail Ekoprayitno Rozi, Elisabeth Farah Novita Coutrier, Din Syafruddin

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background: In 2022, there were 247 million malaria cases spread across 84 malaria-endemic countries. One of the biggest obstacles to controlling malaria is the disease due to drug resistance. Objectives: In this study, we evaluated the antimalarial activity of hydroxythioxanthone derivatives based on the molecular docking study, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation outcome with in vitro antimalarial evaluation. Materials and Methods: The molecular docking and MD were performed to assess the inhibition activity of hydroxythioxanthone derivatives toward Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PfDHODH). Afterward, those compounds were evaluated the antimalarial activity against P. falciparum 3D7. Results: The docking result showed …

Volume 11, Issue 3, Critical Currents And Pedagogical Shifts In Popular Culture And Pedagogy, Journal Dialogue

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Volume 11, Issue 3 of Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy: On Confronting Identity and Global Challenges through Popular Culture and Pedagogy.

Bioshock And Bioshock 2: A Case Study Of Tragic Posthumans, Madison Knight

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Video games offer unique perspectives when analyzing the social structures built into the world of a text; choice becomes a major factor in the central action of video games as players take control of the story’s main protagonists. Two video games that fixate on this idea of choice and its intersection with the posthuman are Ken Levine’s BioShock (2007) and its direct successor, Jordan Thomas’s BioShock 2 (2010). The games each feature posthuman protagonists. Posthumans themselves are often prejudiced and portrayed to be “other,” and while BioShock equally asserts posthumans as “others,” these games show a different side to the …

Read More Comics: Developing Student Analysis Skills And Engagement Through The Use Of Comic Books In General Education Courses, Keri Crist-Wagner

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Undergraduate student participation in general education classes constitutes a point of struggle for many educators. Using both critical constructivism and counter storytelling as theoretical frameworks, this multi-method phenomenological case study explored the experiences of undergraduate honors students in a semester-long general education literature class. The purpose of this study was to 1) explore how comics can be used as a pedagogical tool in higher education classrooms, 2) assess the ways in which students interacted with comics, and 3) investigate what role comics played in engagement and development of critical thinking and analysis skills. Primary data collection involved document review of …

Seeing The Strange: Science Fiction, Critical Pedagogy, And Future Teachers, Jeremy Delamarter

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Critical pedagogy, which is the branch of critical theory devoted to uncovering hidden power differentials in educational settings, is too often taught in abstract terms, and future educators fail to understand its relevance to praxis in their future classrooms. As a genre, science fiction is particularly adept at helping students consider the power structures and dynamics occasioned by scientific advances. Even more specifically, science-fiction is a powerful tool for teaching future educators the fundamentals of critical pedagogy. This article provides a philosophical exploration of why science fiction is such a useful tool for teaching critical pedagogy and uses the specific …

Editorial For Critical Currents And Pedagogical Shifts In Popular Culture And Pedagogy, Barbara Perez

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Transformative Subjects: Discussions Of Nahualismo In Mylan Nguyễn’S Visual Art And Gloria Anzaldúa’S Writings, Sara Ishii-Bear

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Mylan Nguyễn is a Dallas-based artist of Mexican and Vietnamese descent, who uses her multimedia practice, inclusive of ceramics, risograph printing, and illustration, to create whimsical worlds that are infused with symbolism and characterized by transformation. Inspired by the concepts of Nahualismo, a Nahuatl cultural practice that involves human to animal shapeshifting, Nguyễn’s works are populated by shape-shifting humans, animals, and nature. Drawing on a Nahualismo perspective that emphasizes healing and interconnectivity, Nguyễn’s understanding of the concept aligns with Gloria Anzaldúa’s discussion of nagualismo. Coupling Nahualismo and creativity, both Nguyễn and Anzaldúa invite audiences to bridge the divide between humans …

All Things Marian: The Biblical Magi; Meaning, Origins, Traditions, University Of Dayton. International Marian Research Institute, Michele Foley, Richard E. Lenar

Podcast: All Things Marian

Transcript is available using the "Download" button.

All Things Marian: The Biblical Magi-Meaning, Origins, Traditions, University Of Dayton. International Marian Research Institute, Michele Foley, Richard E. Lenar

Podcast: All Things Marian

Transcript is available using the "Download" button.

Pathophysiological Features Of Remodeling In Vascular Diseases: Impact Of Inhibitor Of Dna-Binding/Differentiation-3 And Estrogenic Endocrine Disruptors, Muni Rubens, Venkataraghavan Ramamoorthy

All Publications

Vascular diseases, such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, cerebrovascular, and peripheral arterial diseases, present major clinical and public health challenges, largely due to their common underlying process: vascular remodeling. This process involves structural alterations in blood vessels, driven by a variety of molecular mechanisms. The inhibitor of DNA-binding/differentiation-3 (ID3), a crucial member of ID family of transcriptional regulators, has been identified as a key player in vascular biology, significantly impacting the progression of these diseases. This review explores the role of ID3 in vascular remodeling, emphasizing its involvement in processes such as apoptosis, cell proliferation, and extracellular matrix regulation. Furthermore, …

Improving Pediatric Magnetic Resonance Imaging Safety By Enhanced Non-Technical Skills And Team Collaboration, Masashi Uramatsu, Hidekuni Takahashi, Paul Barach, Yoshikazu Fujisawa, Megumi Takahashi, Shiro Mishima, Gaku Yamanaka

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Safe pediatric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ideally relies on non-sedative techniques, as avoiding risky sedation is inherently safer. However, in practice, sedation often becomes unavoidable, particularly for younger children or those with anxiety, to ensure motion-free, high-quality imaging. This narrative review explores the current practices and proposes strategies to enhance safety in pediatric MRI examinations.

METHODS: We identified and analyzed 247 studies addressing various aspects of pediatric MRI safety, including sedation protocols, patient monitoring, and team-based management approaches.

RESULTS: Safe sedation requires careful drug selection tailored to individual needs, continuous monitoring, and robust emergency preparedness. While efforts are underway …

Cochlear Mechanics Are Preserved After Inner Ear Delivery Of Gold Nanoparticles, Dorothy W Pan, Jinkyung Kim, Patricia M Quiñones, Anthony J Ricci, Brian E Applegate, John S Oghalai

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Novel therapeutic delivery systems and delivery methods to the inner ear are necessary to treat hearing loss and inner ear disorders. However, numerous barriers exist to therapeutic delivery into the bone-encased and immune-privileged environment of the inner ear and cochlea, which makes treating inner ear disorders challenging. Nanoparticles (NPs) are a type of therapeutic delivery system that can be engineered for multiple purposes, and posterior semicircular canal (PSCC) infusion is a method to directly deposit them into the cochlea. We sought to assess PSCC infusion of gold NPs into the cochlea, including the NPs' distribution and effect on cochlear mechanics. …

Evolving Philanthropy Among The Chinese In The Philippines: Then And Now, Jane T. Yugioksing

Chinese Studies Department Faculty Publications

A long history of charitable acts among overseas Chinese especially in the Southeast Asian region, labeled as “diasporic philanthropy,”1 gathered more scholarly attention in recent years. In the Philippines, the complex Chinese diaspora communities layered from first to fifth-generation overseas Chinese to the new Chinese immigrants (NCI) present themselves with multifaceted means of giving back either to their home country or host country. Bearing a sojourner’s mentality, the first generation of Chinese instituted most of their philanthropic action alongside the interest of the motherland, while the succeeding generations navigate their cultural identity and find themselves in the intersection of giving …

Weed Incursion Of Irrigated Forage–Forb Mixtures Under Mob Grazing Or Mowing In The Mountain West Usa, Jennifer Macadam, Jared Gibbons, Xin Dai

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Improving the quality of irrigated pastures can increase the profitability of ruminant production systems. Increasing pasture plant biodiversity is beneficial for ruminants, pollinators, and soil health, but it is challenging to manage weed incursion in seeded mixed-species pastures. This study assessed the weed incursion that resulted when forage legumes or grasses were seeded as binary mixtures with one of four non-legume forbs. Defoliation occurred at 6-week intervals as either mowing or mob grazing. Forbs were chicory, plantain, Lewis flax, or small burnet and forages were alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, creeping foxtail, intermediate wheatgrass, kura clover, meadow bromegrass, orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass, reed …

Update On Strategies To Reduce Early Brain Injury After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Bosco Seong Kyu Yang, Aaron M Gusdon, Xuefang Sophie Ren, Han-Gil Jeong, Chang-Hun Lee, Spiros Blackburn, Huimahn Alex Choi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose of review: Early brain injury (EBI) after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is the most influential clinical determinant of outcomes. Despite significant advances in understanding of the pathophysiology of EBI, currently no treatments to target EBI have been developed. This review summarizes recent advances in EBI research over the past five years with a focus on potential therapeutic targets.

Recent findings: Mechanism-specific translational studies are converging on several pathophysiologic pathways: improved antioxidant delivery and the Sirt1/Nrf2 pathway for reactive oxygen species; NLRP3 inflammasome and microglial polarization for inflammation; and the PI3K/Akt pathway for apoptosis. Recently identified mechanistic components, such as …

Stem Cell Activity-Coupled Suppression Of Endogenous Retrovirus Governs Adult Tissue Regeneration, Ying Lyu, Soo Jin Kim, Ericka S Humphrey, Richa Nayak, Yinglu Guan, Qingnan Liang, Kun Hee Kim, Yukun Tan, Jinzhuang Dou, Huandong Sun, Xingzhi Song, Priyadharsini Nagarajan, Kamryn N Gerner-Mauro, Kevin Jin, Virginia Liu, Rehman H Hassan, Miranda L Johnson, Lisa P Deliu, Yun You, Anurag Sharma, H Amalia Pasolli, Yue Lu, Jianhua Zhang, Vakul Mohanty, Ken Chen, Youn Joo Yang, Taiping Chen, Yejing Ge

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mammalian retrotransposons constitute 40% of the genome. During tissue regeneration, adult stem cells coordinately repress retrotransposons and activate lineage genes, but how this coordination is controlled is poorly understood. Here, we observed that dynamic expression of histone methyltransferase SETDB1 (a retrotransposon repressor) closely mirrors stem cell activities in murine skin. SETDB1 ablation leads to the reactivation of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs, a type of retrotransposon) and the assembly of viral-like particles, resulting in hair loss and stem cell exhaustion that is reversible by antiviral drugs. Mechanistically, at least two molecularly and spatially distinct pathways are responsible: antiviral defense mediated by hair …