Digital Commons Network^™

Celebrating Professor Rita Mcgrath: Winner Of The Ck Prahalad Outstanding Scholar / Practitioner Award, Strategic Management Society, Us 2022: A Conversation With Howard Thomas, Rita Mcgrath, Howard Thomas

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This article highlights Rita McGrath’s extraordinary career and contributions to management thinking, particularly at the intersection of strategy and innovation. Raised in a science-oriented family, McGrath’s academic journey began with a PhD at Wharton and continued at Columbia Business School. She pioneered concepts like “Discovery-Driven Planning” and the idea of “transient competitive advantage,” reshaping how organisations navigate uncertainty and innovation. Her works, including The End of Competitive Advantage and Seeing Around Corners, blend rigorous research with practical insights. A tireless advocate for diversity in academia, McGrath’s achievements bridge academic excellence and real-world impact, serving as an inspiration for future leaders.

A Neutrosophic Model For Measuring Evolution, Involution, And Indeterminacy In Species: Integrating Common And Uncommon Traits In Environmental Adaptation, Antonios Paraskevas, Michael Madas

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

In 2017, Professor F. Smarandache introduced the Neutrosophic Theory of Evolution, Involution, and Indeterminacy (or Neutrality) (NToEIaI). He concluded that every theory of evolution is characterized by a certain degree of truth, indeterminacy, and untruth, as in neutrosophic logic. In this perspective, he raised several open questions on evolution, neutrality, and involution that required further research effort. Very recently, in 2024, Smarandache conducted research, from a soft sciences/philosophical viewpoint, on identifying and studying common parts in uncommon things and uncommon parts in common things emphasizing the complexity and interconnectedness of concepts within the context of neutrosophy. In this article, we …

Toe Pad Morphology And Adhesion In The Miniaturized Gecko, Chatogekko Amazonicus (Gekkota: Sphaerodactylidae), Aaron H. Griffing, Juan D. Daza, Stuart V. Nielsen, Fernanda P. Werneck, Patrik F. Viana, Tony Gamble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Chatogekko amazonicus is a miniaturized gecko from northern South America and is among the smallest of toe pad bearing lizards. The toe pads of C. amazonicus are miniscule, between 18% and 27% of the plantar surface area. We aimed to investigate the relationship between adhesive toe pad morphology, body size, and adhesive capabilities. Using scanning electron microscopy, we determine that the adhesive pads of C. amazonicus exhibit branched setae similar to those of other geckos, but that are generally much smaller. When compared with other gecko taxa, we show that C. amazonicus setae occupy a similar range of seta length: …

Role Of Male Gonad-Enriched Micrornas In Sperm Production In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Lu Lu, Allison L. Abbott

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Germ cell development and gamete production in animals require small RNA pathways. While studies indicate that microRNAs (miRNAs) are necessary for normal sperm production and function, the specific roles for individual miRNAs are largely unknown. Here, we use small RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of dissected gonads and functional analysis of new loss-of-function alleles to identify functions for miRNAs in the control of fecundity and sperm production in Caenorhabditis elegans males and hermaphrodites. We describe a set of 29 male gonad-enriched miRNAs and identify a set of individual miRNAs (mir-58.1 and mir-235) and a miRNA cluster (mir-4807-4810.1) that …

Transcriptomic And Epigenomic Signatures Distinguish High- And Low-Risk Endotypes For Liver Tumor Development, Sandra L Grimm, Tia Talley, Rahul K Jangid, Amrit Koirala, Micah B Castillo, Preethi H Gunaratne, Cristian Coarfa, Cheryl L Walker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The epigenome is a target for environmental exposures and a potential determinant of inter-individual differences in response. In genetically identical C57Bl/6 mice exposed from gestation to weaning to the endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) tributyltin (TBT), hepatic tumor development later in life varied across multiple cohorts over time and depending on sex and diet. In one cohort where approximately half of TBT-exposed male mice developed liver tumors at 10 months (Katz et al. Hepatic tumor formation in adult mice developmentally exposed to organotin, Environmental Health Perspectives, 128 (1), 17010, 2020), transcriptomic (RNA-seq) and epigenomic (ChIP-seq) profiling was performed on blood and liver …

Burden Re-Analysis Of Neurodevelopmental Disorder Cohorts For Prioritization Of Candidate Genes, Noor Smal, Fatma Majdoub, Katrien Janssens, Edwin Reyniers, Marije E C Meuwissen, Berten Ceulemans, Hope Northrup, Jeremy B Hill, Lingying Liu, Edoardo Errichiello, Simone Gana, Alanna Strong, Luis Rohena, Rachel Franciskovich, Chaya N Murali, An Huybrechs, Telma Sulem, Run Fridriksdottir, Patrick Sulem, Kari Stefansson, Yan Bai, Jill A Rosenfeld, Seema R Lalani, Haley Streff, Undiagnosed Diseases Network, R Frank Kooy, Sarah Weckhuysen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This study aimed to uncover novel genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) by leveraging recent large-scale de novo burden analysis studies to enhance a virtual gene panel used in a diagnostic setting. We re-analyzed historical trio-exome sequencing data from 745 individuals with NDD according to the most recent diagnostic standards, resulting in a cohort of 567 unsolved individuals. Next, we designed a virtual gene panel containing candidate genes from three large de novo burden analysis studies in NDD and prioritized candidate genes by stringent filtering for ultra-rare de novo variants with high pathogenicity scores. Our analysis revealed an increased burden …

Suppression Of Matrigel-Induced Choroidal Neovascularization By Aav Delivery Of A Novel Anti-Scg3 Antibody, Chengchi Huang, Avinash Kaur, Liyang Ji, Hong Tian, Keith A Webster, Wei Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Efforts to develop gene therapy for long-term treatment of neovascular disease are hampered by ongoing concerns that biologics against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibit both physiological and pathological angiogenesis and are therefore at elevated risk of adverse side effects. A potential solution is to develop disease-targeted gene therapy. Secretogranin III (Scg3), a unique disease-restricted angiogenic factor described by our group, contributes significantly to ocular neovascular disease. We have shown that Scg3 blockade with a monoclonal antibody Fab fragment (Fab) stringently inhibits pathological angiogenesis without affecting healthy vessels. Here we tested the therapeutic efficacy of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-anti-Scg3Fab to block …

Perivascular Epithelioid Cell-Family Tumors In Children, Adolescents, And Young Adults: Clinicopathologic Features In 70 Cases, Phoebe M Hammer, Angus Toland, Muhammad Shaheen, Archana Shenoy, Ashwini Esnakula, M John Hicks, Mikako Warran, Alyaa Al-Ibraheemi, Jessica L Davis, Serena Y Tan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Context.—: Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) are rare mesenchymal tumors of uncertain histogenesis expressing smooth muscle and melanocytic markers. The clinicopathologic spectrum in young patients is not well documented.

Objective.—: To describe a multi-institutional series of PEComas in children, adolescents, and young adults.

Design.—: PEComas, not otherwise specified (NOS); angiomyolipomas (AMLs); lymphangioleiomyomatosis; and clear cell sugar tumors were retrospectively identified from 6 institutions and the authors' files.

Results.—: Seventy PEComas in 64 patients (median age, 15 years) were identified. They were more common in females (45 of 64 patients), occurring predominantly in the kidney (53 of 70), followed by the …

The Danger Of Silence: The Negative Effect Of Supreme Court Hesitance To Establish A Bright-Line Rule For Determining Patent Subject Matter Eligibility, Amber N. Roibu

Touro Law Review

Ambiguity surrounding the interpretation of 35 U.S.C. § 101 and the ultimate application of the Alice/Mayo standard for determining patent subject matter eligibility has long plagued the courts, practitioners, and USPTO examiners alike. Maintaining a standard that leads to sheer confusion and, as a result, inconsistent rulings severely muddles the ultimate goal of patent law, to promote innovation. The Supreme Court has been presented with ample opportunities to address these issues, with the Solicitor General consistently recommending that it hear cases that deal with patent-eligibility debates. Nonetheless, the Supreme Court's continued hesitancy to grant certiorari on these cases only further …

The Emerging Role Of Long Noncoding Rnas In Sorafenib Resistance Within Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Puneet Vij, Mohammad Shabir Hussain, Sanjaya Satapathy, Everardo Cobos, Manish Kumar Tripathi

School of Medicine Publications

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a liver cancer originating from hepatocytes, is a major health concern and among the most common malignancies worldwide. Sorafenib, approved by the U.S. F.D.A., is the primary first-line treatment for patients with advanced HCC. While the preferred first-line systemic regimen for HCC is immunotherapy with Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab or Tremelimumab-actl + durvalumab, Sorafenib is still an alternative recommended regimen. While some patients with advanced HCC may benefit from Sorafenib treatment, most eventually develop resistance, leading to poor prognosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to play a critical role in tumorigenesis and the development of HCC, …

Metabolic Stress Induces A Double-Positive Feedback Loop Between Ampk And Sqstm1/P62 Conferring Dual Activation Of Ampk And Nfe2l2/Nrf2 To Synergize Antioxidant Defense, Eun-Ji Choi, Hyun-Taek Oh, Seon-Hyeong Lee, Chen-Song Zhang, Mengqi Li, Soo-Youl Kim, Sunghyouk Park, Tong-Shin Chang, Byung-Hoon Lee, Sheng-Cai Lin, Sang-Min Jeon

Staff and Researcher Publications

Co-occurring mutations in KEAP1 in STK11/LKB1-mutant NSCLC activate NFE2L2/NRF2 to compensate for the loss of STK11-AMPK activity during metabolic adaptation. Characterizing the regulatory crosstalk between the STK11-AMPK and KEAP1-NFE2L2 pathways during metabolic stress is crucial for understanding the implications of co-occurring mutations. Here, we found that metabolic stress increased the expression and phosphorylation of SQSTM1/p62, which is essential for the activation of NFE2L2 and AMPK, synergizing antioxidant defense and tumor growth. The SQSTM1-driven dual activation of NFE2L2 and AMPK was achieved by inducing macroautophagic/autophagic degradation of KEAP1 and facilitating the AXIN-STK11-AMPK complex formation on the lysosomal membrane, respectively. In contrast, …

Antibiotic-Associated Neutropenia Is Marked By The Depletion Of Intestinal Lachnospiraceae And Associated Metabolites In Pediatric Patients, Josaura Fernandez-Sanchez, Rachel Rodgers, Arushana A Maknojia, Nusrat Shaikh, Hannah Yan, Marlyd E Mejia, Hope Hendricks, Robert R Jenq, Pavan Reddy, Ritu Banerjee, Jeremy M Schraw, Megan T Baldridge, Katherine Y King

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Prolonged antibiotic exposure causes dangerous hematologic side effects, including neutropenia, in up to 34% of patients. Murine studies established a link between the intestinal microbiota and hematopoiesis. To identify factors that predispose to neutropenia in pediatric patients, we evaluated changes in microbiota‐derived metabolites and intestinal microbiota composition after prolonged courses of antibiotics. In this multi‐center study, patients with infections requiring anticipated antibiotic treatment of two or more weeks were enrolled. Stool samples were obtained at the start and completion of antibiotics or at neutropenia onset (prospective arm). Some patients were enrolled in a retrospective arm in which a stool sample …

Pushing The Boundaries Of Rare Disease Diagnostics With The Help Of The First Undiagnosed Hackathon, Angelica Maria Delgado-Vega, Helene Cederroth, Fulya Taylan, Katja Ekholm, Marlene Ek, Håkan Thonberg, Anders Jemt, Daniel Nilsson, Jesper Eisfeldt, Kristine Bilgrav Saether, Ida Höijer, Ozlem Akgun-Dogan, Yui Asano, Tahsin Stefan Barakat, Dominyka Batkovskyte, Gareth Baynam, Olaf Bodamer, Wanna Chetruengchai, Pádraic Corcoran, Madeline Couse, Daniel Danis, German Demidov, Eisuke Dohi, Mattias Erhardsson, Luis Fernandez-Luna, Toyofumi Fujiwara, Neha Garg, Roberto Giugliani, Claudia Gonzaga-Jauregui, Giedre Grigelioniene, Tudor Groza, Cecilia Gunnarsson, Anna Hammarsjö, Charles Kumi Hammond, Özden Hatirnaz Ng, Sirisha Hesketh, Dineshani Hettiarachchi, Maria Johansson Soller, Umn Ahmed Kirmani, Martin Kjellberg, Malin Kvarnung, Oleg Kvlividze, Kristina Lagerstedt-Robinson, Paul Lasko, Timo Lassmann, Lynette Y S Lau, Steven Laurie, Weng Khong Lim, Zhandong Liu, Mariya Lysenkova Wiklander, Prince Makay, Alassane Baneye Maiga, Carolina Maya-González, M Stephen Meyn, Ramprasad Neethiraj, Vincenzo Nigro, Felix Nordgren, Jessica Nordlund, Sara Orrsjö, Jesper Ottosson, Ugur Ozbek, Özkan Özdemir, Clyde Partin, David A Pearce, Raquel Peck, Annie Pedersen, Maria Pettersson, Monnat Pongpanich, Manuel Posada De La Paz, Arun Ramani, Juan Andres Romero, Vanessa I Romero, Richard Rosenquist, Aung Min Saw, Matthew Spencer, Eva-Lena Stattin, Chalurmpon Srichomthong, Isabel Tapia-Paez, Domenica Taruscio, Julie P Taylor, Tinatin Tkemaladze, Ian Tully, Zeynep Tümer, Wendy A G Van Zelst-Stams, Alain Verloes, Emma Västerviga, Sailan Wang, Rachel Yang, Shinya Yamamoto, Vicente A Yépez, Qing Zhang, Vorasuk Shotelersuk, Samuel Agyei Wiafe, Yasemin Alanay, Lorenzo D Botto, Salman Kirmani, Aimé Lumaka, Elizabeth Emma Palmer, Ratna Dua Puri, Valtteri Wirta, Anna Lindstrand, Orion J Buske, Mikk Cederroth, Ann Nordgren

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

The first-ever Undiagnosed Hackathon was a groundbreaking event held by the Wilhelm Foundation, the Karolinska Undiagnosed Disease Program, and PhenoTips in collaboration with UDNI to solve medical mysteries and advance diagnostics for undiagnosed rare diseases. Nearly 100 healthcare professionals and researchers from 28 countries participated, working intensively for 48 hours to diagnose 10 families with undiagnosed rare diseases. This innovative approach to precision diagnostics highlighted the power of international, multidisciplinary collaboration and patient partnership, yielding promising results for patients seeking answers and benefiting the entire rare diseases community.

Pancreatitis Pain Quality Changes At Year 1 Follow-Up, But Gp130 Remains A Biomarker For Pain, Jami L Saloman, Kristofer Jennings, Kimberly Stello, Shuang Li, Anna Evans Phillips, Kristen Hall, Evan L Fogel, Santhi Swaroop Vege, Dana K Andersen, William E Fisher, Christopher E Forsmark, Phil A Hart, Stephen J Pandol, Walter G Park, Mark D Topazian, Stephen K Van Den Eeden, Jose Serrano, Darwin L Conwell, Liang Li, Dhiraj Yadav

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background/objectives: Debilitating abdominal pain is a common symptom affecting patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP). CP pain is dynamic due to multiple underlying mechanisms. The objective of this study was to 1) evaluate changes in pain phenotype at one year follow-up and 2) validate putative pain biomarkers in a prospective cohort study.

Methods: The Neuropathic and Nociceptive PROMIS-PQ questionnaires were used to classify pain for participants with in the PROCEED study. Putative serum biomarkers were measured via immunoassay.

Results: At enrollment, 17.6 % (120/681) subjects with CP reported no pain in the previous year. Of those, 29 % experienced pain during …

Genetic Risk Factors In Isolated Dystonia Escape Genome-Wide Association Studies, Björn-Hergen Laabs, Katja Lohmann, Eva-Juliane Vollstedt, Tobias Reinberger, Lisa-Marie Nuxoll, Gamze Kilic-Berkmen, Joel S Perlmutter, Sebastian Loens, Carlos Cruchaga, Andre Franke, Valerija Dobricic, Frauke Hinrichs, Anne Grözinger, Eckart Altenmüller, Steven Bellows, Sylvia Boesch, Susan B Bressman, Kevin R Duque, Alberto J Espay, Andreas Ferbert, Jeanne S Feuerstein, Samuel Frank, Thomas Gasser, Bernhard Haslinger, Robert Jech, Frank Kaiser, Christoph Kamm, Katja Kollewe, Andrea A Kühn, Mark S Ledoux, Ebba Lohmann, Abhimanyu Mahajan, Alexander Münchau, Trisha Multhaupt-Buell, Alexander Pantelyat, Sarah E Pirio Richardson, Deborah Raymond, Stephen G Reich, Rachel Saunders Pullman, Barbara Schormair, Nutan Sharma, Azadeh Hamzehei Sichani, Kristina Simonyan, Jens Volkmann, Aparna Wagle Shukla, Juliane Winkelmann, Laura J Wright, Michael Zech, Kirsten E Zeuner, Simone Zittel, Meike Kasten, Yan V Sun, Tobias Bäumer, Norbert Brüggemann, Laurie J Ozelius, Hyder A Jinnah, Christine Klein, Inke R König

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Despite considerable heritability, previous smaller genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have not identified any robust genetic risk factors for isolated dystonia.

Objective: The objective of this study was to perform a large-scale GWAS in a well-characterized, multicenter sample of >6000 individuals to identify genetic risk factors for isolated dystonia.

Methods: Array-based GWASs were performed on autosomes for 4303 dystonia participants and 2362 healthy control subjects of European ancestry with subgroup analysis based on age at onset, affected body regions, and a newly developed clinical score. Another 736 individuals were used for validation.

Results: This GWAS identified no common genome-wide significant …

Circulating Galectin-3: A Prognostic Biomarker In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Shadi Chamseddine, Betul Gok Yavuz, Yehia I Mohamed, Sunyoung S Lee, James C Yao, Zishuo Ian Hu, Michael Lapelusa, Lianchun Xiao, Ryan Sun, Jeffrey S Morris, Rikita I Hatia, Manal Hassan, Dan G Duda, Maria Diab, Amr Mohamed, Ahmed Nassar, Hesham M Amin, Ahmed Omar Kaseb

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Galectin-3 plays critical roles in the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of tumor cells. Recent data have suggested that galectin-3 plays a role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its prognostic value has not been validated. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical and prognostic value of galectin-3 in patients with HCC.

METHODS: We prospectively enrolled and collected clinicopathologic data and serum samples from 767 patients with HCC between 2001 and 2014 at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Two hundred patients without HCC were also enrolled and had data collected. The Kaplan-Meier …

Fulfilling The Promise Of Breathomics: Considerations For The Discovery And Validation Of Exhaled Volatile Biomarkers, Paul Brinkman, Michael Wilde, Waqar Ahmed, Ran Wang, Marc Van Der Schee, Shahd Abuhelal, Chad Schaber, Danen Cunoosamy, Graham W Clarke, Anke H Maitland-Van Der Zee, Sven-Erik Dahlén, Salman Siddiqui, Stephen J Fowler

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The exhaled breath represents an ideal matrix for non-invasive biomarker discovery, and exhaled metabolomics have the potential to be clinically useful in the era of precision medicine. In this concise translational review we will specifically address volatile organic compounds in the breath, with a view towards fulfilling the promise of these as actionable biomarkers, in particular for lung diseases. We review the literature paying attention to seminal work linked to key milestones in breath research; discuss potential applications for breath biomarkers across disease areas and healthcare systems, including the perspectives of industry; and outline critical aspects of study design that …

A Finite Element Model For Biomechanical Characterization Of Ex Vivo Peripheral Nerve Dysfunction During Stretch, Nicholas C Vasas, Adam M Forrest, Nathaniel A Meyers, Michael B Christensen, Jenny L Pierce, Sidney M Kaufmann, Kimberly B Lanaghen, Randal C Paniello, Julie M Barkmeier-Kraemer, Jonathan P Vande Geest

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Peripheral nerve damage can cause debilitating symptoms ranging from numbness and pain to sensory loss and atrophy. To uncover the underlying mechanisms of peripheral nerve injury, our research aims to develop a relationship between biomechanical peripheral nerve damage and function through finite element modeling. A noncontact, ex vivo electrophysiology chamber, capable of axially stretching explanted nerves while recording electrical signals, was used to investigate peripheral nerve injury. Successive stretch trials were run on eight sciatic nerves (four females and four males) excised from Sprague-Dawley rats. Nerves were stretched until 50% compound action potential (CAP) amplitude reduction was obtained. A constitutive …

Fusobacterium Nucleatum Abundance Is Associated With Cachexia In Colorectal Cancer Patients: The Colocare Study, Mmadili N Ilozumba, Adetunji T Toriola, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Cachexia accounts for about 20% of all cancer-related deaths and indicates poor prognosis. The impact of Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn), a microbial risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC), on the development of cachexia in CRC has not been established.

METHODS: We evaluated the association between Fn abundance in pre-surgical stool samples and onset of cachexia at 6 months post-surgery in n = 87 patients with stages I-III CRC in the ColoCare Study.

RESULTS: High fecal Fn abundance compared to negative/low fecal Fn abundance was associated with 4-fold increased risk of cachexia onset at 6 months post-surgery (OR = 4.82, 95% …

A Site-Wise Reliability Analysis Of The Abcd Diffusion Fractional Anisotropy And Cortical Thickness: Impact Of Scanner Platforms, Yezhi Pan, L Elliot Hong, Ashley Acheson, Paul M Thompson, Neda Jahanshad, Alyssa H Zhu, Jiaao Yu, Chixiang Chen, Tianzhou Ma, Ho-Ling Liu, Jelle Veraart, Els Fieremans, Nicole R Karcher, Peter Kochunov, Shuo Chen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) project is the largest study of adolescent brain development. ABCD longitudinally tracks 11,868 participants aged 9-10 years from 21 sites using standardized protocols for multi-site MRI data collection and analysis. While the multi-site and multi-scanner study design enhances the robustness and generalizability of analysis results, it may also introduce nonbiological variances including scanner-related variations, subject motion, and deviations from protocols. ABCD imaging data were collected biennially within a period of ongoing maturation in cortical thickness and integrity of cerebral white matter. These changes can bias the classical test-retest methodologies, such as intraclass correlation …

Precision Functional Mapping To Advance Developmental Psychiatry Research, Alyssa K Labonte, M Catalina Camacho, Julia Moser, Sanju Koirala, Timothy O Laumann, Scott Marek, Damien Fair, Chad M Sylvester

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Many psychiatric conditions have their roots in early development. Individual differences in prenatal brain function (which is influenced by a combination of genetic risk and the prenatal environment) likely interact with individual differences in postnatal experience, resulting in substantial variation in brain functional organization and development in infancy. Neuroimaging has been a powerful tool for understanding typical and atypical brain function and holds promise for uncovering the neurodevelopmental basis of psychiatric illness; however, its clinical utility has been relatively limited thus far. A substantial challenge in this endeavor is the traditional approach of averaging brain data across groups despite individuals …

Using Semi-Automated Classification Algorithms In The Context Of An Ecosystem Service Assessment Applied To A Temperate Atlantic Estuary, F. Afonso, C. Ponte Lira, M. C. Austen, S. Broszeit, R. Melo, R. Nogueira Mendes, R. Salgado, A. C. Brito

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The growing anthropogenic pressure near estuarine areas is evidence of the relevance of these systems to human well-being, especially because of their delivery of essential ecosystem services and benefits. Estuaries are composed of a rich large selection of habitats frequently organised in complex patterns. Mapping and further understanding of these habitats can contribute significantly to environmental management and conservation. The main goal of this study was to integrate different data sources to perform a supervised image classification, using remote-sensing products with different spatial resolutions and features. It was focused on the Sado Estuary, located on the Portuguese Atlantic coast. Considering …

Distinct Patterns Of Smooth Muscle Phenotypic Modulation In Thoracic And Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, Chien-Jung Lin, Campbell Keating, Robyn Roth, Yasar Caliskan, Mustafa Nazzal, Vernat Exil, Richard Dipaolo, Divya Ratan Verma, Kishore Harjai, Mohamed Zayed, Chieh-Yu Lin, Robert P Mecham, Ajay K Jain

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAs and AAAs, respectively) share morphological features but have distinct clinical and hereditary characteristics. Studies using bulk RNA comparisons revealed distinct patterns of gene expression in human TAA and AAA tissues. However, given the summative nature of bulk RNA studies, these findings represent the totality of gene expression without regards to the differences in cellular composition. Single-cell RNA sequencing provides an opportunity to interrogate cell-type-specific transcriptomes. Single cell RNA sequencing datasets from mouse TAA (GSE153534) and AAA (GSE164678 and GSE152583) with respective controls were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Bioinformatic analysis was performed with …

Bridging Gaps. The Role Of School Leaders In Implementing The Mckinney-Vento Act For Homeless Student Success, Brian Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative narrative inquiry explores the role of school leaders in implementing the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (MKVA) within a public school district in West Texas. The study addresses the challenges school leaders face in supporting homeless students and the strategies they employ to ensure academic success and socio-emotional well-being. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Bertalanffy’s general systems theory, the research examines how school leaders' personal understandings and professional experiences influence MKVA provisions' implementation. The study employs semistructured interviews and reflective journals to gather participant data, followed by a member-checking process to enhance the accuracy and credibility of …

A Qualitative Study Of The Career Experiences Of Asian And Asian American Female Administrators In U.S. Higher Education, Yunru Shen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the experiences of Asian and Asian American women administrators’ career paths in U.S. higher education. The research fills a gap in the literature regarding the careers of Asian and Asian American women administrators. The recruitment process was completed between May 13 and July 9, 2024. Recruitment emails were sent to 25 potentially qualified participants, including a network of 17 people made up of mentors, professors, and colleagues, as well as eight professional associations and LinkedIn. The participants were six Asian and Asian American biologically female administrators at U.S. colleges and universities. These participants currently hold …

Understanding The Barriers Of General Education Teachers Implementing Inclusive Practices, Sonya Garrette Woodfork

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The inclusion of students with disabilities has become more prevalent in general education classrooms advocating for children to be educated in the least restrictive environment. This participatory action research aimed to investigate the effects of general education teachers’ lack of sufficient preservice training and attitudes on learning outcomes for children with special needs placed in inclusive learning environments. The participatory action research took place on one elementary and one early childhood campus. Data collection methods took place via triangulation using data from interviews, journals, and surveys. There are many barriers to successfully implementing inclusion in general education classrooms. This study …

Characterization Of The Ubiquitin‐Modified Proteome Of Recombinant Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells In Response To Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Karuppuchamy Selvaprakash, Christiana‐Kondylo Sideri, Michael Henry, Esen Efeoglu, David Ryan, Paula Meleady

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells remain the most widely used host cell line for biotherapeutics production. Despite their widespread use, understanding endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress conditions in recombinant protein production remains limited, often creating bottlenecks preventing improved production titers and product quality. Ubiquitination not only targets substrates (e.g., misfolded proteins) for proteasome degradation but also has important regulatory control functions including cell cycle regulation, translation, apoptosis, autophagy, etc. and hence is likely to be central to understanding and controlling the productivity of recombinant biotherapeutics. This study aimed to uncover differentially expressed ubiquitinated proteins following artificial induction of ER-stress in recombinant …

Advances In Understanding Vitamin D Deficiency As A Risk Factor In Periodontal Disease Management, Marina Cristina Giurgiu, George Alexandru Denis Popescu, Stana Paunica, Dragos Nicolae Ciongaru, Brandusa Florina Mocanu, Ana Maria Alexandra Stanescu, Anca Silvia Dumitriu

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

This study investigates the relationship between periodontal disease and vitamin D deficiency by correlating clinical periodontal parameters with serum levels of vitamin D; (2) Methods: Data from the literature and the periodontal status of two patients diagnosed with both periodontal disease and vitamin D deficiency were evaluated. Clinical parameters were measured, including plaque index, bleeding on probing, and bone resorption (%). Serum levels of vitamin D were also analyzed. Additionally, the patients underwent initial periodontal treatment to improve the periodontal status; (3) Results: Both patients exhibited advanced periodontal disease with elevated clinical parameters and significant bone resorption. Serum levels of …

Exploring The Air Pollution With Particulate Matter - Pm10, Covid-19 Cases Evolution In Romania And Exposure To Aeroallergens, Irina Mihaela Stoian, Simona Parvu, Radu Cucuiu, Dana Galieta Minca

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Constant exposure to the atmospheric air polluted with particulate matter is considered to have a negative influence on human health, even if it is found at values that may not exceed the maximum allowable concentration. Starting from the correlation between atmospheric air polluted with PM and COVID-19 incidence/mortality, this research had as first objective to assess the exposure to an average concentration of PM10 in Romania and, in particular, in Bucharest for a period of six years and the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 cases per 1000 inhabitants (continuing previous research, from 2020). Subsequently, we studied the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 …

Weight Loss In Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes Before And After Sars-Cov2 Infection - A Retrospective Observational Study, Roxana Adriana Stoica, Florentina Gherghiceanu, Denisa Nedelcu, Valeria- Anca Pietrosel, Cristina Ioana Bica, Teodor Salmen, Claudiu Teodorescu, Mihaela Simona Popoviciu, Anca Pantea Stoian

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Objectives. As weight modification during the COVID-19 pandemic was reported in several circumstances, we aimed to assess the body composition changes using bio impedance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) during this period. Materials and Methods. We conducted an observational, retrospective study, from January 2021- June 2021, in two outpatient clinics, enrolling all patients with T2DM and SARS-CoV2 infection that presented for evaluation after the infection. Blood tests (serum creatinine, urea, blood glucose, lipid profile, transaminases, HbA1c) were available before the onset of infection as well as at an interval of 1-3 months post-infection. Results. From a total …