Digital Commons Network^™

Association Of Circulating Tumor Dna Testing Before Tissue Diagnosis With Time To Treatment Among Patients With Suspected Advanced Lung Cancer: The Accelerate Nonrandomized Clinical Trial, Miguel García-Pardo, Kasia Czarnecka-Kujawa, Jennifer H Law, Alexandra M Salvarrey, Roxanne Fernandes, Thomas K Waddell, Geoffrey Liu, Laura L Donahoe, Andrew Pierre, Lisa W Le, Tharsiga Gunasegaran, Noor Ghumman, Frances A Shepherd, Penelope A Bradbury, Adrian G Sacher, Sabine Schmid, Lucy Corke, Jamie Feng, Tracy Stockley, Prodipto Pal, Patrik Rogalla, Christodoulos Pipinikas, Karen Howarth, Bana Ambasager, Laura Mezquita, Ming S Tsao, Natasha B Leighl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Liquid biopsy has emerged as a complement to tumor tissue profiling for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The optimal way to integrate liquid biopsy into the diagnostic algorithm for patients with newly diagnosed advanced NSCLC remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) genotyping before tissue diagnosis among patients with suspected advanced NSCLC and its association with time to treatment.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This single-group nonrandomized clinical trial was conducted among 150 patients at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre-University Health Network (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) between July 1, 2021, and November 30, 2022. Patients …

Clinical And Demographic Factors Associated With Covid-19, Severe Covid-19, And Sars-Cov-2 Infection In Adults: A Secondary Cross-Protocol Analysis Of 4 Randomized Clinical Trials, Madhu Choudhary, Samuel T Robinson, Peter B Gilbert, Dean Follmann, Holly Janes, James G Kublin, Lindsey R Baden, Paul Goepfert, Glenda E Gray, Beatriz Grinsztejn, Karen L Kotloff, Cynthia L Gay, Brett Leav, Jacqueline Miller, Ian Hirsch, Jerald Sadoff, Lisa M Dunkle, Kathleen M Neuzil, Lawrence Corey, Ann R Falsey, Hana M El Sahly, Magdalena E Sobieszczyk, Yunda Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Current data identifying COVID-19 risk factors lack standardized outcomes and insufficiently control for confounders.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors associated with COVID-19, severe COVID-19, and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This secondary cross-protocol analysis included 4 multicenter, international, randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled, COVID-19 vaccine efficacy trials with harmonized protocols established by the COVID-19 Prevention Network. Individual-level data from participants randomized to receive placebo within each trial were combined and analyzed. Enrollment began July 2020 and the last data cutoff was in July 2021. Participants included adults in stable health, at risk for SARS-CoV-2, and assigned to the placebo group …

The Swi/Snf Chromatin-Remodeling Subunit Dpf2 Facilitates Nrf2-Dependent Antiinflammatory And Antioxidant Gene Expression, Gloria Mas, Na Man, Yuichiro Nakata, Concepcion Martinez-Caja, Daniel Karl, Francesco Tamiro, Stephanie Duffort, Hidehiro Itonaga, Adnan K Mookhtiar, Kranthi Kunkalla, Alfredo M Valencia, Clayton K Collings, Cigall Kadoch, Francisco Vega, Scott C Kogan, Ramin Shiekhattar, Lluis Morey, Daniel Bilbao, Stephen D Nimer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

During emergency hematopoiesis, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) rapidly proliferate to produce myeloid and lymphoid effector cells, a response that is critical against infection or tissue injury. If unresolved, this process leads to sustained inflammation, which can cause life-threatening diseases and cancer. Here, we identify a role of double PHD fingers 2 (DPF2) in modulating inflammation. DPF2 is a defining subunit of the hematopoiesis-specific BAF (SWI/SNF) chromatin-remodeling complex, and it is mutated in multiple cancers and neurological disorders. We uncovered that hematopoiesis-specific Dpf2-KO mice developed leukopenia, severe anemia, and lethal systemic inflammation characterized by histiocytic and fibrotic tissue infiltration resembling a …

Social And Environmental Determinants Influencing Injection Drug Use And Hiv Risk Among Two Sister Cities On The Us-Mexico Border: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study, 2016–2018, Maria Elena Ramos, Jorge Salazar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The economic, social, cultural and political milieus that influence injection drug-related HIV risk behaviors along the US-Mexico border in the previous decade have been studied comparing cities on an East-West axis. In an effort to inform interventions targeting factors beyond the individual level, we used a cross-sectional study design comparing people who inject drugs during 2016-2018, living on a North-South axis, in two cities-Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico and El Paso, Texas, USA-situated at the midpoint of the 2000 US-Mexico borderland stretch. We conceptualize injection drug use and its antecedents and consequences as influenced by factors operating at various levels of …

Baseline Features And Reasons For Nonparticipation In The Colonoscopy Versus Fecal Immunochemical Test In Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer (Confirm) Study, A Colorectal Cancer Screening Trial, Barbara J Del Curto, Meaghan F Larson, Samir Gupta, David Lieberman, Beata Planeta, Aasma Shaukat, Shanaz Sultan, Stacy B Menees, Sameer D Saini, Philip Schoenfeld, Stephan Goebel, Erik C Von Rosenvinge, Gyorgy Baffy, Ildiko Halasz, Marcos C Pedrosa, Lyn Sue Kahng, Riaz Cassim, Katarina B Greer, Margaret F Kinnard, Divya B Bhatt, Kerry B Dunbar, William V Harford, John A Mengshol, Jed E Olson, Swati G Patel, Fadi Antaki, Deborah A Fisher, Brian A Sullivan, Christopher Lenza, Devang N Prajapati, Helen Wong, Rebecca Beyth, John G Lieb, Joseph Manlolo, Fernando V Ona, Rhonda A Cole, Natalia Khalaf, Charles J Kahi, Divyanshoo Rai Kohli, Tarun Rai, Prateek Sharma, Jiannis Anastasiou, Curt Hagedorn, Ronald S Fernando, Christian S Jackson, M Mazen Jamal, Robert H Lee, Farrukh Merchant, Folasade P May, Joseph R Pisegna, Endashaw Omer, Dipendra Parajuli, Adnan Said, Toan D Nguyen, Claudio Ruben Tombazzi, Paul A Feldman, Leslie Jacob, Rachel N Koppelman, Kyle P Lehenbauer, Deepak S Desai, Mohammad F Madhoun, William M Tierney, Minh Q Ho, Heather J Hockman, Christopher Lopez, Emily Carter Paulson, Martin Tobi, Hugo L Pinillos, Michele Young, Nancy C Ho, Ranjan Mascarenhas, Kirrichai Promrat, Pritesh R Mutha, William M Pandak, Tilak Shah, Mitchell Schubert, Frank S Pancotto, Andrew J Gawron, Amelia E Underwood, Samuel B Ho, Priscilla Magno-Pagatzaurtundua, Doris H Toro, Charles H Beymer, Andrew M Kaz, Jill Elwing, Jeffrey A Gill, Susan F Goldsmith, Michael D Yao, Petr Protiva, Heiko Pohl, Tassos Kyriakides

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: The Colonoscopy Versus Fecal Immunochemical Test in Reducing Mortality From Colorectal Cancer (CONFIRM) randomized clinical trial sought to recruit 50 000 adults into a study comparing colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality outcomes after randomization to either an annual fecal immunochemical test (FIT) or colonoscopy.

OBJECTIVE: To (1) describe study participant characteristics and (2) examine who declined participation because of a preference for colonoscopy or stool testing (ie, fecal occult blood test [FOBT]/FIT) and assess that preference's association with geographic and temporal factors.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study within CONFIRM, which completed enrollment through 46 Department of Veterans Affairs …

A Metabologenomics Approach To Unlock The Metabolome Of The Novel Antarctic Deep-Sea Isolate Lacinutrix Shetlandiensis Sp. Nov. Wur7, Giovanni A. Vitale, Grant G. January, Ernest Oppong-Danquah, Sala G Della, Esposito F Palma, Deniz Tasdemir, Pascale D De

School of Biomedical Sciences

Abstract The South Shetland Trough, Antarctica, is an underexplored region for microbiological and biotechnological exploitation. Herein, we describe the isolation and characterization of the novel bacterium Lacinutrix shetlandiensis sp. nov. WUR7 from a deep-sea environment. We explored its chemical diversity via a metabologenomics approach, wherein the OSMAC strategy was strategically employed to upregulate cryptic genes for secondary metabolite production. Based on hybrid de novo whole genome sequencing and digital DNA–DNA hybridization, isolate WUR7 was identified as a novel species from the Gram-negative genus Lacinutrix. Its genome was mined for the presence of biosynthetic gene clusters with limited results. However, extensive …

Giant Worm-Shaped Escrt Scaffolds Surround Actin-Independent Integrin Clusters, Femmy C. Stempels, Muwei Jiang, Harry M. Warner, Magda Lena Moser, Maaike H. Janssens, Sjors Maassen, Iris H. Nelen, Boer R De, William F. Jiemy, David Knight, Julian Selley, Ronan O’Cualain, Maksim V. Baranov, Thomas C.Q. Burgers, Roberto Sansevrino, Dragomir Milovanovic, Peter Heeringa, Matthew C. Jones, Rifka Vlijm, Beest M Ter, Den Bogaart G Van

Peninsula Medical School

Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT) proteins can be transiently recruited to the plasma membrane for membrane repair and formation of extracellular vesicles. Here, we discovered micrometer-sized worm-shaped ESCRT structures that stably persist for multiple hours at the plasma membrane of macrophages, dendritic cells, and fibroblasts. These structures surround clusters of integrins and known cargoes of extracellular vesicles. The ESCRT structures are tightly connected to the cellular support and are left behind by the cells together with surrounding patches of membrane. The phospholipid composition is altered at the position of the ESCRT structures, and the actin cytoskeleton is locally …

Towards A Multi-Arm Multi-Stage Platform Trial Of Disease Modifying Approaches In Parkinson’S Disease, Tom Foltynie, Sonia Gandhi, Cristina Gonzalez-Robles, Marie Louise Zeissler, Georgia Mills, Roger Barker, James Carpenter, Anette Schrag, Anthony Schapira, Oliver Bandmann, Stephen Mullin, Joy Duffen, Kevin Mcfarthing, Jeremy Chataway, Mahesh Parmar, Camille Carroll, Yoav Ben Shlomo, Mark Edwards, Alan Whone, Carl Counsell, Caroline Clarke, Matthew Burnell, Dorothy Salathiel, Sue Whipps, Anna Jewell, Tom Barber, Rimona Weil, Caroline Williams Gray, Michele Hu, Lynn Rochester, Paola Piccini, Henrik Zetterberg, Alastair Noyce, Ray Chaudhuri, Michael Lawton, Ashwani Jha, Carroll Siu, Michèle Bartlett, Wamelen D Van, Simon Stott, George Tofaris, Esther Sammler, Heather Mortiboys, Li Wei, Alan Wong, Susan Duty, David Dexter, Paula Scurfield, Edwin Jabbari, Huw Morris, D Breen, C Lambert, P Korlipara, M Silverdale, K Bhatia, A Yarnall, R Khengar, H Collins, F Hudson, G Baxendale, R Croucher, S Bartolomeur-Pires, J Allison, A Morgan, S Wonnacott, D Athauda, E Henderson, S Clegg, K Matthews, E Deeson, L Miller, J Handley, H Matthews, A Batla, N Bakshi, B Port, R Ellis-Doyle, Sl Collins, J Rudiger, R Chapman, J Cedarbaum, A Lang, B Fiske, R Wyse, A Boxer, D Wilson, Jc Corvol, J Harris

Peninsula Medical School

An increase in the efficiency of clinical trial conduct has been successfully demonstrated in the oncology field, by the use of multi-arm, multi-stage trials allowing the evaluation of multiple therapeutic candidates simultaneously, and seamless recruitment to phase 3 for those candidates passing an interim signal of efficacy. Replicating this complex innovative trial design in diseases such as Parkinson’s disease is appealing, but in addition to the challenges associated with any trial assessing a single potentially disease modifying intervention in Parkinson’s disease, a multi-arm platform trial must also specifically consider the heterogeneous nature of the disease, alongside the desire to potentially …

Association Between Historical Neighborhood Redlining And Cardiovascular Outcomes Among Us Veterans With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases, Amgad Mentias, Yakov Elgudin, Salim S Virani, Sanjay Rajagopalan, Sadeer Al-Kindi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: In the 1930s, the government-sponsored Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) established maps of US neighborhoods that identified mortgage risk (grade A [green] characterizing lowest-risk neighborhoods in the US through mechanisms that transcend traditional risk factors to grade D [red] characterizing highest risk). This practice led to disinvestments and segregation in neighborhoods considered redlined. Very few studies have targeted whether there is an association between redlining and cardiovascular disease.

Objective: To evaluate whether redlining is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in US veterans.

Design, setting, and participants: In this longitudinal cohort study, US veterans were followed up (January 1, 2016, …

Investigating The Antibiotic Potentiating Effects Of A Novel Reactive Oxidant Species-Generating Antimicrobial., Gracious Yoofi Boafo Donkor

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the rise in antimicrobic resistance and the decline in antibiotic discovery, drug development has expanded into alternative antimicrobial compounds, such as silver. Silver-containing compounds have emerged as a promising alternative due to their multi-specific effects on inhibiting bacterial growth. Our work focuses on the antimicrobial effects of AGXX, a novel antimicrobial which has been shown to exert its broad-spectrum effects through the production of highly cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). Although preliminary studies have demonstrated the potency of AGXX in gram-positive pathogens, its effects on gram-negative pathogens remain largely unknown. The goal of my thesis was to examine …

Stirrer With Wireless Communication - Id-05920, Paolo Markovina

Defensive Publications Series

The invention disclosure the application of a multisensory solution, for the food temperature and stirring speed active monitoring and communication with induction heating cooktop appliance, by the wireless manner, in order to adjust the food heating power and stirring speed, according to the preloaded values, enabling the concept of the assisted cooking process.

Glass Ceramic Replacement With Htr Polymer - Id-06124, Paolo Markovina

Defensive Publications Series

The invention relates to a replacement of glass-ceramic plate of induction cooking hob with a high temperature resistance polymer plate. By this solution, integration of more different sensors could be enabled and by this the assisted cooking process would be possible to apply at the induction heating cooking hob. Moreover, the glass ceramic substitution by the HTR polymer plate would eliminate of glass ceramic braking process during the hob appliance transport, installation and use phases.

Perempuan Adat Dan Kemiskinan: Pengalaman, Dilema, Dan Tantangan Dalam Penelitian Etnografi, Nikodemus Niko

Antropologi Indonesia

This article stems from my experience of conducting ethnography on indigenous Dayak Benawan women in West Kalimantan for approximately two years. Documenting the experiences and knowledge of indigenous Dayak Benawan women was a challenge for me as a researcher, a man, and part of the Dayak Benawan people. Reflection on field data reveals that indigenous women of Dayak Benawan experience multiple oppressions of poverty, starting from the family system, the community, and even the state. For this reason, this article tries to understand the reality of Dayak Benawan women in sociological research and how the women-ethnography method is applied in …

Pathogen Emergence As Complex Biological Invasion: Lessons From Dynamical Systems Modeling, Sudam Surasinghe, Marisabel Rodriguez, Victor Meszaros, Jane Molofsky, Salvador Almagro-Moreno, Brandon Ogbunugafor

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Infectious disease emergence has become the target of cross-disciplinary efforts
that aim to understand and predict the shape of outbreaks. The many challenges
involved with the prediction of disease emergence events is a characteristic that in-
fectious diseases share with biological invasions in many subfields of ecology (e.g.,
how certain plants are able to successfully invade a new niche). Like infectious
diseases, biological invasions by plants and animals involve interactions between
agents (pathogens and plants in their respective cases) and a recipient niche. In
this study, we examine the problem of pathogen emergence through the lens of a
framework first …

Obituary: Padmanabh S. Jaini (October 23, 1923 - May 25, 2021), Ellen Gough

The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies

None

Any Chinese Translation Of Theravada Pali, Charles Willemen

The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies

no abstract

Brief Note About The Heart Sutra And Its Composition, Charles Willemen

The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies

no abstract

The Shape Of Victory: The Earth-Touching Gesture In Context, Douglass Smith

The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies

This paper will attempt to unearth some of the historical roots of the earth-touching gesture by considering eight different textual accounts of it from the Buddhist traditions of the early centuries CE. Maria Spagnoli has recently argued that the gesture stems from Greek antecedents in oath-making that were transferred to ancient India, perhaps through Gandhara. While this may indeed be so, more remains to be said about possible Indian roots of the gesture. To that end, this paper will explore resonances the gesture has with material in several important Vedic tropes. It will also consider the problem of early Buddhist …

Translating From Canonical And Post-Canonical Buddhist Texts - Problems And Perspectives, Bhikkhu Pasadika

The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies

None.

Aśokan Rock Edict-I: Understanding Aśoka's Views On Killing, Ramakanta Mishra

The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies

All the translators of Aśokan Rock Edict–I agree that it carries Aśoka’s message against killing. But when we examine the subject matter of the edict, it appears disjointed. It starts with an injunction against killing of living beings, then jumps to advice against celebrations, and then it reverts back to the original topic and informs us that the emperor has taken steps to reduce slaughter of living beings in the royal kitchen. It is difficult to understand why Aśoka had to talk about celebrations in an edict focused on reducing slaughter of animals. Apparently, we have not understood accurately what …

Kāliṅgaraṭṭha And Its Buddhist Connections, Karam Tej Sarao, Jyoti Dwivedi

The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies

Invasion of the kingdom of Kāliṅga (Kāliṅgaraṭṭha) by King Aśoka and his consequent Dhamma policy is a recurrent theme in the Buddhist folk lore. In fact, the Kāliṅga event is often cited as an example in Buddhism of a cruel king becoming a righteous king by taking shelter in Buddhism. The long term consequences of the Kāliṅga War as well as the motive of Aśoka behind the war and its subsequent justificatory politics have been debated by historians. In this paper an attempt has been made to understand Aśoka’s reason for invading Kāliṅga as well as Kāliṅga’s importance in the …

Buddhas’ Respect For The Dhamma – A Commentarial Exposition, Bhikkhu Gyanabodhi (Sajal Barua)

The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies

This essay points out that even though due to the development of perfect human qualities a Buddha is regarded as the supreme person (purisottama) and highly respected by the followers in the tradition, a Pāli commentarial exposition depicts that the Gotama Buddha placed the Dhamma above him and paid his due respect to the Dhamma. This essay explores what kind of dhamma a Buddha pays respect to? Why and how? It also contains an original annotated English translation of a commentarial and a sub-commentarial texts dealing with the subject. The study is carried out following a critical and …

From Nothing To No-Thing-Ness To Emptiness: The Buddhist Recycling Of An Old Jain Saying, Dhivan Thomas Jones

The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies

In this article I investigate a difficult saying of the Buddha, preserved in three places in Pāli canonical discourses: n’ āhaṃ kvacani kassaci kiñcanatasmiṃ, na ca mama kvacani kismiñci kiñcanat’ atthi (‘There is no I anywhere in anyone’s property, and neither is there anywhere in anything property which is mine’). At A 3: 70, this saying is attributed to the Jains, while at A 4: 185, the Buddha teaches it as a ‘brahman truth’ acceptable to paribbājakas, and at M 106, the Buddha teaches it as a means of attaining the experiential dimension of no-thing-ness (ākiñcaññāyatana). I …

The Sa Sakya Pa View Of A Yogin's Direct Perception, Based On Sa Skya Paṇḍita's Tshad Ma Rigs Gter And His Auto-Commentary, Along With Go Rams Pa, Gyag Ston, And Glo Bo Mkhan's Sub-Commentaries, Bruce J. Steward

The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies

None

Table Of Contents, Lalji Shavak

The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies

Table of Contents for Volume 22

The Validity Study Of A Channel-Based Demand Estimation Anp Model, Yasamin Salmani, Fariborz Y. Partovi

Management Department Faculty Journal Articles

This paper suggests a solution for validating an ANP model in multi-channel retailing proposed by Salmani et al. (2018) through its application in the pet consumables industry. The purpose of the proposed ANP model is to develop a measurement for estimating the demand proportion attributed to each established sales channel. Utilizing an ANP model, channel selection customer criteria as well as the interrelations between channel structures in a multi-channel setting are quantified. This paper applies a survey-based study to collect data from random pet consumable customers. Using a compatibility measurement, per-channel proportions of demand found by ANP are compared with …

أثر الاستعمالات التعليمية على أسعار إيجارات العقارات السكنية المجاورة: حالة دراسية حي العقيق في مدينة الرياض, Shadi F. Khogeer, Waleed S. Alzamil

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

This paper sheds light on analyzing the effect of educational uses on rental prices of neighboring residential properties by applying a case study of Al-Aqiq neighborhood in the city of Riyadh. The research seeks to examine the extent of the existence of a relationship between the educational uses and the neighboring residential properties, depending on the distance factor within a range of 150 meters. The research used field survey tools and interviews with real estate marketers in Al-Aqiq district in Riyadh, and data were entered in a quantitative manner that can be measured in the SPSS statistical analysis program. The …

Imc And Journalism Professors Lead Students Abroad, Mackenzie Ross

University of Mississippi News

37 students travel with professors for once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in Spain

Neal, James, Wendy Chapkis

Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection

Jim Neal is a 65 year old gay man born and raised in Galesburg, Illinois. Following his parents’ divorce at age 7, he moved with his mother and brother into their grandmother’s home. Neal discusses how, throughout his childhood, he witnessed predatory men in positions of power abusing boys; this served to inform his early perception of homosexuality. Those experiences also presented an internal struggle for Jim Neal between his own identity as a gay man and his perception of adult gay men. As a child, he found support in his family and closest community for his non-traditional gender interests …

Radiomics Characterization Of Tissues In An Animal Brain Tumor Model Imaged Using Dynamic Contrast Enhanced (Dce) Mri, Hassan Bagher-Ebadian, Stephen L. Brown, Mohammad M. Ghassemi, Tavarekere N. Nagaraja, Benjamin Movsas, James R. Ewing, Indrin J. Chetty

Radiation Oncology Articles

Here, we investigate radiomics-based characterization of tumor vascular and microenvironmental properties in an orthotopic rat brain tumor model measured using dynamic-contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI. Thirty-two immune compromised-RNU rats implanted with human U-251N cancer cells were imaged using DCE-MRI (7Tesla, Dual-Gradient-Echo). The aim was to perform pharmacokinetic analysis using a nested model (NM) selection technique to classify brain regions according to vasculature properties considered as the source of truth. A two-dimensional convolutional-based radiomics analysis was performed on the raw-DCE-MRI of the rat brains to generate dynamic radiomics maps. The raw-DCE-MRI and respective radiomics maps were used to build 28 unsupervised Kohonen self-organizing-maps …