Digital Commons Network^™

Ex Vivo Microfluidic Model Identifies A Role For Shear Stress During Ovarian Tumor Cell Attachment To Peritoneal Mesothelial Cells, Vasilios A Morikis, Breanna Baker, Jillian A Martin, Angela Schab, Alessandra Dimauro, Gregory D Longmore, Whitney R Grither

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Ascites, or a pathologic accumulation of intra-abdominal fluid, is a key feature of intraperitoneally disseminating cancers, such as ovarian cancer. This pathological fluid buildup can influence the adhesive abilities of ovarian cancer cells, as they spread throughout the abdominal cavity to form metastatic implants on organs lined with a specialized monolayer of mesothelial cells. Robust methods for assessing the impact of fluid shear stress on this cell-cell interaction are lacking. Here, we develop and characterize a novel microfluidic device that allows for the determination of the attachment of ovarian tumor cells to mesothelial cells under the influence of fluid flow. …

Ex Vivo Microfluidic Model Identifies A Role For Shear Stress During Ovarian Tumor Cell Attachment To Peritoneal Mesothelial Cells, Vasilios A Morikis, Breanna Baker, Jillian A Martin, Angela Schab, Alessandra Dimauro, Gregory D Longmore, Whitney R Grither

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Ascites, or a pathologic accumulation of intra-abdominal fluid, is a key feature of intraperitoneally disseminating cancers, such as ovarian cancer. This pathological fluid buildup can influence the adhesive abilities of ovarian cancer cells, as they spread throughout the abdominal cavity to form metastatic implants on organs lined with a specialized monolayer of mesothelial cells. Robust methods for assessing the impact of fluid shear stress on this cell-cell interaction are lacking. Here, we develop and characterize a novel microfluidic device that allows for the determination of the attachment of ovarian tumor cells to mesothelial cells under the influence of fluid flow. …

The Hottest Areas In U.S. Cities Are Losing The Most Greenery, Yunjae Ock, Vivek Shandas

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Due to the significantly increasing impacts of urban heat, cities are seeking to expand tree canopy, parks and other forms of greenery to reduce temperatures. Despite these efforts, few studies have examined the relationship between neighborhood-scale thermal conditions and changes in green spaces. The present study drew on high-resolution, near-surface air temperature measurements in 33 U.S. cities to answer two research questions: (1) to what extent did these cities’ greenery change from 2013 to 2022? and (2) did these study areas have an increase in greenery within neighborhoods exhibiting the hottest air temperatures? Results suggest that 72.7% of cities are …

Discovery And Characterization Of A Novel Pseudomonas Phage Of A New Genus, Paul Nicholls, Justin R Clark, Anthony Maresso

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Bacteriophages exhibit great diversity and are classically divided into lytic and temperate lifestyles. Commonly, bioinformatics is used to predict the temperate lifestyle. As the nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is common in freshwater, this biome represents an ideal location for the discovery of Pseudomonas phages.

Materials and methods: We characterized a genetically distinct species of Pseudomonas phage using next-generation sequencing and conventional microbiological methods. We characterized its lifestyle by purifying infected colonies and identifying persistent phage production.

Results: Genetics revealed a phage of a novel genus. Characterization showed a narrow host range and bioinformatics suggested a lytic lifestyle. Experimental data …

Bridging The Evidence Gap: A Retrospective Lens On Survival And Treatment Patterns In Older Patients With Colorectal Cancer, Emad M. Tashkandi

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To advise evidence-based strategies and healthcare policies to optimize the management of older adults with colorectal cancer (CRC) in the region. Older adults are disproportionately affected by CRC but are underrepresented in clinical trials. Hence, real-world data are crucial in guiding treatment in this population.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving patients aged ≥65 years diagnosed with CRC between 2015 and 2021 at King Abdullah Medical City, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Clinical data, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes were analyzed.

Results: Among 256 patients (mean age 74.7; 61.7% male), 75% had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status …

Anatomical Distribution And Extent Of Carotid Plaque In Early Inflammatory Polyarthritis, Fahad F. Almutairi

Saudi Medical Journal

Objective: To compare the extent and anatomical distribution of carotid atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery segments between patients with early Inflammatory Polyarthritis (IP) and age- and sex-matched controls, and to assess associated cardiovascular and disease-specific risk factors.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (June 2022 to April 2023), 349 patients (70% female; age 50.74 years; 41.81-58.34) and 115 matched controls (66% female; age 52.28 years; 42.29-58.42) underwent carotid ultrasound examination. Associations between plaques and cardiovascular were assessed.

Results: Plaques were significantly more common among patients than controls (46.1% vs. 27.8%, p = 0.0006), particularly …

Biomarkers Of Multiorgan Failure In Covid-19: A Predictive Framework For Disease Severity And Clinical Outcomes, Wesam A. Nasif, Mohammed H. Mukhtar, Mohammad Althubiti, Abeer Shaker El Moursy Ali

Saudi Medical Journal

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of inflammatory, liver, renal, and cardiac biomarkers in relation to the progression of multiorgan failure (MOF) in COVID-19 patients. A primary goal was to identify which of these markers served as the most discriminative predictors of disease severity.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried out between December 2020 and February 2023 to collect data from 1,803 COVID-19 patients from data records in different hospitals in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The ROC curve analysis evaluated the diagnostic and predictive performance of selected biomarkers.

Results: Inflammatory markers such as CRP and D-dimer were evaluated, but ferritin …

Role Of Artificial Intelligence In Infectious Diseases And Antimicrobial Resistance: A Comprehensive Review On Diagnostic, Treatment, And Prevention Aspects, Naveed Ahmed, Mansoor Alghamdi

Saudi Medical Journal

Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a significant role in managing infectious diseases by enhancing diagnosis, treatment, and preventive measures. AI-assisted tools have predictive analysis ability for incoming outbreaks, including the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AI-assisted tools facilitate the treatment methods by tailoring personalized medicine according to the specific disease history of the patient, immune response, and genetics. Advanced vaccine development by various AI-assisted in silico tools is becoming easy, leading to faster vaccine discovery and more efficient vaccine design with a more immunogenic response. Despite huge benefits, a few limitations are also encountered, including biases in algorithms, data privacy, and …

Childhood Obesity: Global Burden, Multifactorial Etiologies, Biological Mechanisms, And Emerging Interventions For Prevention And Management, Fahad H. Baali

Saudi Medical Journal

Childhood obesity, characterized by excessive accumulation of body fat that adversely affects health, is a global public health challenge. It affects approximately 8.2% of children and adolescents globally and contributes significantly to the burden of chronic diseases in later life. Obese children are at increased risk of developing metabolic disorder cluster, type 2 diabetes (T2D), coronary artery disease (CAD), and psychosocial complications. Increasing prevalence of childhood obesity imposes substantial economic costs and highlights the urgent need for effective prevention and management strategies. The causes of childhood obesity are multifactorial including genetic predispositions, environmental influences, dietary habits, and physical inactivity. Early …

The Structure, Pathogenesis, And Inhibition Of The P53-Mdm2 Pathway, Amanda L. Brown, Xiaoying Lian, Qian Wang

Faculty Publications

The p53 tumor suppressor protein plays a central role in maintaining genomic stability by regulating cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and DNA repair under cellular stress. Mouse double minute 2 (MDM2), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, negatively regulates p53 via direct binding and proteasomal degradation. Overexpression or amplification of MDM2 can disrupt this pathway and promote tumorigenesis, even in cancers with wild-type p53. This review outlines the structural features of MDM2, particularly its N-terminal hydrophobic pocket and C-terminal RING domain, and their roles in p53 regulation. We further examine the pathological effects of MDM2 dysregulation and SNPs linked to increased cancer risk. …

Selective Reversal Of Cu-Amyloid Aggregation Monitored In Real Time By Fluorescence Anisotropy: Ni-Bme-Dach Vs Edta Benchmarks, Alyssa N. Schroeder, Eleanor K. Adams, Dane C. Frost, Erica Lopez, Jennie R. Giacomini, Marilyn R. Mackiewicz

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Metal dyshomeostasis, particularly involving Cu2+, is increasingly recognized as a key contributor to amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregation and neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s disease, motivating the development of chelators capable of selectively disrupting pathogenic metal-Aβ interactions without perturbing essential biological metals. Here, we employ steady-state fluorescence anisotropy as a real-time probe of TAMRA-Aβ1–42 rotational mobility to quantify metal-induced aggregation and its reversibility by two chelators with distinct selectivities: EDTA, a broad-spectrum benchmark, and Ni-bme-dach, a sulfur-rich metallodithiolate with high Cu affinity. Cu2+ induces the most significant increases in anisotropy, consistent with rapid formation of large nanoscale aggregates, while Fe3+ produces moderate aggregation and …

Impaired Arginine, Citrulline And Glutamine Metabolism In Type 2 Diabetes: Insights From A Stable Isotope Study, Mustafa Tosur, Raven A Wierzchowska-Mcnew, Nicolaas E P Deutz, Mariëlle P K J Engelen

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Context: Arginine (Arg) is an important amino acid in T2D as a potent insulin secretagogue and precursor for nitric oxide (NO). Citrulline (Cit), the substrate for de novo Arg synthesis, is mostly produced from glutamine (Gln).

Objective: We aimed to investigate their metabolism in T2D using novel stable isotope tracer approach.

Methods: We studied 42 individuals (21 with T2D, 21 controls). After overnight fasting, blood samples were collected following pulse administration of stable amino acid tracers. Plasma concentrations and isotopic enrichments were measured by LC-MS/MS, and compartmental analyses were performed to calculate their whole-body production (WBP) rates and kinetics.

Results: …

Schwannomatosis Tumor Modeling: Progress And Prospects For Translational Research, Mackenzie S Madison, Huazhen Xu, Yarelis Gonzalez-Vargas, Marybeth G Yonk, Charee M Thompson, Hurley Haney, Danielle Babbitt, Yuhong Du, Angela C Hirbe, Nicholas M Boulis, Ren-Yuan Bai, Kecheng Lei

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Schwannomatosis (SWN) is a rare genetic condition characterized by the development of benign schwannomas along peripheral and spinal nerves, and this tumor development often results in chronic peripheral pain and significant neurological deficits. Despite surgical resection being the current standard of care for SWN-related pain, scientists are searching for accurate preclinical models that can be used for drug efficacy testing, but existing models often fail to fully recapitulate the complex genotypic diversity and tumor-nerve interface pathology seen in patients. MAIN TEXT: This review first summarizes the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of SWN subtypes resulting from key mutations in NF2, …

This Island Earth, Diane Ackerman

Creative Nonfiction Magazine

No abstract provided.

Attention Please, Diane Ackerman

Creative Nonfiction Magazine

No abstract provided.

On Being Text, Sallie Tisdale

Creative Nonfiction Magazine

No abstract provided.

Creative Nonfiction In The Crosshairs, Lee Gutkind

Creative Nonfiction Magazine

No abstract provided.

Interesting Case: Do Not Disturb, Natalie Smith Parra

Creative Nonfiction Magazine

No abstract provided.

A Merging Of Head And Heart, Judith Dancoff

Creative Nonfiction Magazine

No abstract provided.

The Agony And The Agony, Deborah Mcdonald

Creative Nonfiction Magazine

No abstract provided.

Notes From A Difficult Case, Ruthann Robson

Creative Nonfiction Magazine

No abstract provided.

The Unexamined Life, Sam Anderson

Creative Nonfiction Magazine

No abstract provided.

Fighting Fire With Fire, Ally Whitzel

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

A Forced Reintroduction, Zoey Dale

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

A Moral Dilemma: An Analysis Of Ethics And Human Genome Editing, Diana Owen

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

From Obispeño To English, Cailin Lorek

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

The Touch Felt Around The World, Melody Bastani

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

The Language That Had Escaped Me, Julia Johnson

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

The Power Of A Formative Experiment In An Inclusion Science Education Classroom, K. Lea Alexander, Marla K. Robinson

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Formative experiments offer a novel approach to research educational interventions

in inclusion science classrooms. This research examined whether using a formative experiment design with an intervention called Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) increased reading comprehension in grade-level biology text and science self-efficacy of students who had learning disabilities in reading in an inclusion biology classroom. Despite the small n, the results showed that there were statistically significant increases in the comprehension of grade-level biology text and science self-efficacy for the students with learning disabilities who participated in the study.

Taking Shelter From The Coming Storm: The Millenial Impulse Of The Church Universal And Triumphant's Royal Teton Ranch, Brad Whitsel

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.