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Cagi, The Critical Assessment Of Genome Interpretation, Establishes Progress And Prospects For Computational Genetic Variant Interpretation Methods, Critical Assessment Of Genome Interpretation Consortium

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The Critical Assessment of Genome Interpretation (CAGI) aims to advance the state-of-the-art for computational prediction of genetic variant impact, particularly where relevant to disease. The five complete editions of the CAGI community experiment comprised 50 challenges, in which participants made blind predictions of phenotypes from genetic data, and these were evaluated by independent assessors.

RESULTS: Performance was particularly strong for clinical pathogenic variants, including some difficult-to-diagnose cases, and extends to interpretation of cancer-related variants. Missense variant interpretation methods were able to estimate biochemical effects with increasing accuracy. Assessment of methods for regulatory variants and complex trait disease risk was …

Estrogen Receptor Mutations As Novel Targets For Immunotherapy In Metastatic Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer, Jonathan Goldberg, Na Qiao, Jennifer L Guerriero, Brett Gross, Yagiz Meneksedag, Yoshimi F Lu, Anne V Philips, Tasnim Rahman, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Jason Roszik, Ken Chen, Rinath Jeselsohn, Sara M Tolaney, George E Peoples, Gheath Alatrash, Elizabeth A Mittendorf

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

UNLABELLED: Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer is not considered immunogenic and, to date, has been proven resistant to immunotherapy. Endocrine therapy remains the cornerstone of treatment for ER+ breast cancers. However, constitutively activating mutations in the estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) gene can emerge during treatment, rendering tumors resistant to endocrine therapy. Although these mutations represent a pathway of resistance, they also represent a potential source of neoepitopes that can be targeted by immunotherapy. In this study, we investigated ESR1 mutations as novel targets for breast cancer immunotherapy. Using machine learning algorithms, we identified ESR1-derived peptides predicted to form stable complexes …

A Longitudinal Look At Student Attitude, Perceived Competence, And Fitness Test Performance Of Elementary Students, Risto Marttinen, Kevin Mercier, Jung Yeon Park, Kelly L. Simonton, Erin Centeio, Kevin Andrew Richards, Kathleen Wilson

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

The purpose of this study was to assess relationships between students’ attitudes toward physical education (PE), their perceived competence toward PE, and their fitness test performance, as well as how these relationships change over time. Measurements were conducted with validated instruments across five time points during two school years with fourth and fifth grade students across ten schools (n = 636, 48% = female). This study was developed to address a need for examining how attitudes and perceived competence change over time. Descriptive statistics and latent growth models were run with the variables of interest to investigate four research …

"We're Not Selling Ice Cream Here": Plcaa, The Predicate Exception, And Providing Relief For Plaintiffs, Emma Kilroy

Duke Law Journal

In 2005, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (“PLCAA”) put a stop to most civil litigation against the firearms industry. In the nineteen years since, victims of gun violence have attempted to bring claims against members of the firearms industry, with varying degrees of success, using an exception to PLCAA known as the predicate exception. Recently, states have begun to pass legislation creating a right of action for plaintiffs to take advantage of the predicate exception. Whether the new legislation will be successful, however, remains to be seen.

This Note examines all of the available cases considering the …

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 4 - February 22, 2024

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 4 - February 22, 2024. 16 pages.

Immunostimulatory Short Non-Coding Rnas In The Circulation Of Patients With Tuberculosis Infection, Justin Gumas, Takuya Kawamura, Megumi Shigematsu, Yohei Kirino

Computational Medicine Center Faculty Papers

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection is among the world's deadliest infectious diseases. Developing effective treatments and biomarkers for tuberculosis requires a deeper understanding of its pathobiology and host responses. Here, we report a comprehensive characterization of circulating short non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) in plasma samples from Mtb-infected patients. We achieved this by pre-treating plasma RNAs with T4 polynucleotide kinase to convert all RNA ends to those compatible with sncRNA sequencing. We discovered a global and drastic upregulation of plasma sncRNAs in Mtb-infected patients, with tRNA-derived sncRNAs representing the most dramatically elevated class. Most of these tRNA-derived sncRNAs originated from a limited subset …

Uncovering The Interhospital Price Variations For Vasectomies In The United States, Sherry Mortach, Nicholas Sellke, Stephen Rhodes, Helen H. Sun, Kimberly Tay, Ramy Abou Ghayda, Aram Loeb, Nannan Thirumavalavan

Faculty Scholarship

Due to the historic lack of transparency in healthcare pricing in the United States, the degree of price variation for vasectomy is largely unknown. Our study aims to assess characteristics of hospitals reporting prices for vasectomy as well as price variation associated with hospital factors and insurance status. A cross-sectional analysis was performed in October, 2022 using the Turquoise Database which compiles publicly available hospital pricing data. The database was queried for vasectomy prices to identify the cash (paid by patients not using insurance), commercial (negotiated by private insurers) and Medicare and Medicaid prices for vasectomies. Hospital characteristics of those …

Establishment And Characterization Of Turtle Liver Organoids Provides A Potential Model To Decode Their Unique Adaptations, Christopher Zdyrski, Vojtech Gabriel, Thea B. Gessler, Abigail Ralston, Itzel Sifuentes-Romero, Debosmita Kundu, Sydney Honold, Hannah Wickham, Nicholas E. Topping, Dipak Kumar Sahoo, Basanta Bista, Jeffrey Tamplin, Oscar Ospina, Pablo Piñeyro, Marco Arriaga, Jacob A. Galan, David K. Meyerholz, Karin Allenspach, Jonathan P. Mochel, Nicole Valenzuela

Faculty Publications

Painted turtles are remarkable for their freeze tolerance and supercooling ability along with their associated resilience to hypoxia/anoxia and oxidative stress, rendering them an ideal biomedical model for hypoxia-induced injuries (including strokes), tissue cooling during surgeries, and organ cryopreservation. Yet, such research is hindered by their seasonal reproduction and slow maturation. Here we developed and characterized adult stem cell-derived turtle liver organoids (3D self-assembled in vitro structures) from painted, snapping, and spiny softshell turtles spanning ~175My of evolution, with a subset cryopreserved. This development is, to the best of our knowledge, a first for this vertebrate Order, and complements the …

Montana Kaimin, February 22, 2024, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Biden, Trump Running Away With Primary Races In Vermont 2/22/2024, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Less than two weeks away from the primary on Super Tuesday, former President Donald Trump holds a 30 percentage point lead over former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley among likely Republican Primary voters in Vermont. President Joe Biden holds an even larger lead over Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips, though relatively few Democratic primary voters would be enthusiastic if Biden is the party's nominee. Vermonters rate Biden more highly than Trump on several characteristics. Biden's biggest strengths according to Vermont residents are his honesty, integrity, and temperament, though many rate his mental and physical fitness poorly.

Biden, Trump Dominate Maine Primaries 2/22/2024, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

The 2024 Maine Presidential Primary is less than two weeks away and more than three-quarters of likely Republican primary voters support former President Donald Trump. President Joe Biden holds an even larger lead on the Democratic side, but likely Democratic voters are less enthusiastic about him becoming the party's nominee. When asked to rate several characteristics of Biden and Trump, majorities rate Biden's temperament, honesty, and integrity more highly than Trump's, but a plurality believe Trump has better mental and physical stamina.

Factors Associated With Reduced Depression And Suicide Risk Among Mäori High School Students In New Zealand, Terryann C. Clark

Dissertations

Mäori adolescents, indigenous to New Zealand (NZ), have among the highest rates of depression and suicide in the industrialized world. Fortunately, resilience research demonstrates that promotive factors, such as family and school connections, can markedly reduce mental health problems for vulnerable youth populations. However, to date, this research has never focused on risk and promotive mechanisms related to mental health outcomes for Mäori youth. Such knowledge is a prerequisite for addressing the persistent mental health inequities faced by Mäori young people.

Pattern Recognition In Experienced Pediatric Nurses, Kathleen Wilson Neal

Dissertations

Little is known about how nurses build their knowledge beyond skills and tasks. Nurses may develop the ability to use a number of objective and subjective information sources to recognize the patterns of healthcare, behavioral, and social issues. The purpose of this study was to describe the development of pattern recognition in pediatric nurses in an acute care setting.

U.S. Health Care Leaders' Perceptions Of A $15 Living Wage And Its Influence On Organizational Outcomes, Mary Trenice Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, paying employees a living wage has been a salient topic for organizations, social advocacy groups, and politicians in recent years. Advocates have introduced a $15 per hour wage as an appropriate living wage. There is existing research on living wages; however, research is limited on perceptions of living wages among leadership in the health care industry. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore leaders' perceptions of a $15 living wage and its influence on organizational outcomes in the health care industry. The efficiency wage theory provided the theoretical framework for the investigation. A …

Community Nonprofit And Small Business Partnerships - The Impact On Community Well-Being, Tracye D. Bryant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this study, the challenges impeding the establishment of sustainable partnerships between small businesses and nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in South Fulton, Georgia, and their potential impact on community development were explored. Drawing upon existing literature and employing a qualitative research approach involving ten community leaders from NPOs and ten small business (SB) owners, the perceived barriers hindering successful partnerships were examined through thematic coding in NVivo. The findings revealed a range of obstacles, including inadequate funding, limited financial capacity, divergent interests, uneven benefits, and challenges arising from the COVID-19 economic landscape. The study included insights into the potential for stronger …

Elucidating The Role Of The Tumor Suppressor Gene Rna-Binding Motif 5 (Rbm5) In Models Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Kara L. Snyder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a worldwide health burden that causes death and disability. Clinical management of TBI involves guideline-based protocols to limit secondary brain injury but there remains an unmet need for therapeutics to target neuroprotection and to improve cognitive outcomes in patients. This dissertation concerns the examination of RNA binding motif 5 (RBM5) as a potential therapeutic gene target to promote neuroprotection in models of TBI. RBM5 is a potent pro-death tumor suppressor gene in cancer. We hypothesized that it also promotes cell death in neurons in the brain and therefore its inhibition would decrease neuropathology following CNS …

Exploring The Antibacterial Potential And Underlying Mechanisms Of Prunella Vulgaris L On Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Ziyin Li, Qiqi He, Feifei Xu, Xinxin Yin, Zhuofan Guan, Jia Song, Zhini He, Xingfen Yang, Chen Situ

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Prunella vulgaris L. (PV) is a widely distributed plant species, known for its versatile applications in both traditional and contemporary medicine, as well as in functional food development. Despite its broad-spectrum antimicrobial utility, the specific mechanism of antibacterial action remains elusive. To fill this knowledge gap, the present study investigated the antibacterial properties of PV extracts against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and assessed their mechanistic impact on bacterial cells and cellular functions. The aqueous extract of PV demonstrated greater anti-MRSA activity compared to the ethanolic and methanolic extracts. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS tentatively identified 28 phytochemical components in the aqueous extract of PV. …

Somatostatin Receptor Subtype-2 Targeting System For Specific Delivery Of Temozolomide, Solmaz Aghaamiri, Sukhen C Ghosh, Servando Hernandez Vargas, Daniel M Halperin, Ali Azhdarinia

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Temozolomide (TMZ) is a DNA alkylating agent that produces objective responses in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) when the DNA repair enzyme O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is inactivated. At high doses, TMZ therapy exhausts MGMT activity but also produces dose-limiting toxicities. To reduce off-target effects, we converted the clinically approved radiotracer 68Ga-DOTA-TOC into a peptide-drug conjugate (PDC) for targeted delivery of TMZ to somatostatin receptor subtype-2 (SSTR2)-positive tumor cells. We used an integrated radiolabeling strategy for direct quantitative assessment of receptor binding, pharmacokinetics, and tissue biodistribution. In vitro studies revealed selective binding to SSTR2-positive cells with high affinity (5.98 ± 0.96 …

Comparative Genomics Incorporating Translocation Renal Cell Carcinoma Mouse Model Reveals Molecular Mechanisms Of Tumorigenesis, Gopinath Prakasam, Akhilesh Mishra, Alana Christie, Jeffrey Miyata, Deyssy Carrillo, Vanina T Tcheuyap, Hui Ye, Quyen N Do, Yunguan Wang, Oscar Reig Torras, Ramesh Butti, Hua Zhong, Jeffrey Gagan, Kevin B Jones, Thomas J Carroll, Zora Modrusan, Steffen Durinck, Mai-Carmen Requena-Komuro, Noelle S Williams, Ivan Pedrosa, Tao Wang, Dinesh Rakheja, Payal Kapur, James Brugarolas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Translocation renal cell carcinoma (tRCC) most commonly involves an ASPSCR1-TFE3 fusion, but molecular mechanisms remain elusive and animal models are lacking. Here, we show that human ASPSCR1-TFE3 driven by Pax8-Cre (a credentialed clear cell RCC driver) disrupted nephrogenesis and glomerular development, causing neonatal death, while the clear cell RCC failed driver, Sglt2-Cre, induced aggressive tRCC (as well as alveolar soft part sarcoma) with complete penetrance and short latency. However, in both contexts, ASPSCR1-TFE3 led to characteristic morphological cellular changes, loss of epithelial markers, and an epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Electron microscopy of tRCC tumors showed lysosome expansion, and functional studies revealed simultaneous …

Quaker Campus, February 22, 2024 (Vol. 22, Issue 10), Whittier College

Quaker Campus

No abstract provided.

February 22, 2024, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

February 22, 2024, James Madison University

The Breeze, 2020-

The Breeze is the student newspaper of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Vista: February 22, 2024, University Of San Diego

USD Vista (1965-)

No abstract provided.

Boost Your Brain And Memory, Michele Kroll

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Factors Affecting Selection Of Trainee For Neurointervention (Fasten), Mohamed Elfil, Rami Z Morsi, Sherief Ghozy, Ahmed Elmashad, Adnan Siddiqui, Alhamza R Al-Bayati, Ali Alaraj, Allan Brook, Anthony W Kam, Arindam Rano Chatterjee, Athos Patsalides, Ben Waldau, Charles J Prestigiacomo, Charles Matouk, Clemens M Schirmer, David Altschul, David T Parrella, Gabor Toth, Gaurav Jindal, Hamza A Shaikh, Jaydevsinh N Dolia, Johanna T Fifi, Justin F Fraser, Justin Thomas Do, Krishna Amuluru, Louis J Kim, Mark Harrigan, Matthew R Amans, Max Kole, Max Mokin, Michael Abraham, Mouhammad Jumaa, Nazli Janjua, Osama Zaidat, Patrick P Youssef, Priyank Khandelwal, Qingliang Tony Wang, Ramesh Grandhi, Ricardo Hanel, Ryan T Kellogg, Santiago Ortega-Gutierrez, Sunil Sheth, Thanh N Nguyen, Viktor Szeder, Yin C Hu, Albert J Yoo, Omar Tanweer, Brian Jankowitz, Jeremy J Heit, Richard Williamson, Tareq Kass-Hout, Richard W Crowley, Mohammad El-Ghanem, Fawaz Al-Mufti

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Neurointervention is a very competitive specialty in the United States due to the limited number of training spots and the larger pool of applicants. The training standards are continuously updated to ensure solid training experiences. Factors affecting candidate(s) selection have not been fully established yet. Our study aims to investigate the factors influencing the selection process.

METHODS: A 52-question survey was distributed to 93 program directors (PDs). The survey consisted of six categories: (a) Program characteristics, (b) Candidate demographics, (c) Educational credentials, (d) Personal traits, (e) Research and extracurricular activities, and (f) Overall final set of characteristics. …

Nonprofit Leadership Strategies For Maintaining Tax-Exempt Status, Joelander Wheeler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) have benefited communities by providing goods and services not filled by government and private organizations. Noncompliance with operational requirements imposed on tax-exempt organizations can cause NPOs to lose their tax-exempt status and hinder their ability to provide much-needed services to underserved communities. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case was to explore strategies some NPO leaders use to ensure compliance with the state and federal regulations required to maintain tax-exempt status. The participants were leaders from three NPOs in Tennessee who implemented plans to ensure adherence to local, state, and federal laws to …

High School Administrators’ Perspectives On Reducing Chronic Absenteeism Among African American Male Adolescents, Torrie Siemone Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem for this study was that school administrators in an East Coast urban public school district in the United States inconsistently implemented leadership strategies to reduce the chronic absences of African American male high school students. Chronic absenteeism rates had led to decreased graduation rates and higher drug use and school dropout rates in the district. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore high school administrators' perspectives on implementing situational theory strategies to address the challenges of reducing the chronic absenteeism of African American male high school students. Hersey and Blanchard’s theory of situational leadership …

Research Experiences Via Integrating Simulations And Experiments (Revise): A Model Collaborative Research Project For Undergraduate Students In Co2 Sorbent Design, Anthony Griffin, Neziah Smith, Mark Robertson, Bianca Nunez, Jacob Mccraw, Haoyuan Chen, Zhe Qiang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Undergraduate research experiences are an instrumental component of student development, increasing conceptual understanding, promoting inquiry-based learning, and guiding potential career aspirations. Moving one step further, as research continues to become more interdisciplinary, there exists potential to accelerate student growth by granting additional perspectives through collaborative research. This study demonstrates the utilization of a model collaborative research project, specifically investigating the development of sorbent technologies for efficient CO2 capture, which is an important research area for improving environmental sustainability. A model CO2 sorbent system of heteroatom-doped porous carbon is utilized to enable students to gain knowledge of adsorption processes, through combined …

Research Experiences Via Integrating Simulations And Experiments (Revise): A Model Collaborative Research Project For Undergraduate Students In Co2 Sorbent Design, Anthony Griffin, Neziah Smith, Mark Robertson, Bianca Nunez, Jacob Mccraw, Haoyuan Chen, Zhe Qiang

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Undergraduate research experiences are an instrumental component of student development, increasing conceptual understanding, promoting inquiry-based learning, and guiding potential career aspirations. Moving one step further, as research continues to become more interdisciplinary, there exists potential to accelerate student growth by granting additional perspectives through collaborative research. This study demonstrates the utilization of a model collaborative research project, specifically investigating the development of sorbent technologies for efficient CO2 capture, which is an important research area for improving environmental sustainability. A model CO2 sorbent system of heteroatom-doped porous carbon is utilized to enable students to gain knowledge of adsorption processes, through combined …

Show Me The Green: The Battle For Investor Trust In Esg Funds, Benjamin R. Lukas

Duke Law Journal

Environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) funds enable earnest investors to align their money with their values. Some believe that ESG funds can promote a more sustainable and just economy by encouraging companies to adopt better practices and by divesting from those that do not. Others expect that funds with limited carbon exposure will outperform as climate change imposes regulatory and financial risks on carbon-intensive industries. Research suggests that younger investors overwhelmingly support the idea behind ESG investing; one-third even report a willingness to forgo 10 percent or more of their retirement savings to protect the environment.

Unfortunately, ESG products also …