Digital Commons Network^™

Final Report: California Tribal Nations Transportation Planning Needs Assessment Study, Seetha Reddy, Ashley Parker, David Reinke, Kaely Colligan

Mineta Transportation Institute

The Tribal Transportation Planning Needs Assessment Study was a collaborative project conducted by Caltrans and the Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University. The primary goal of the project was to identify the current state of transportation planning activities and partnerships within Tribal governments in California, so that Caltrans can meaningfully engage more actively with Tribal governments early in the planning process and better meet the transportation needs of Tribal communities. The study focused on the 109 federally recognized Tribal Nations in California, and collected data through a survey questionnaire. The key task undertaken by the study team was to …

Evaluating Automated Truck Platoon (Atp) Deployment For The Los Angeles–Inland Empire Trade Corridor Enhancement, Shailesh Chandra, Aastha Chaudhary, Prakhar Srivastava, Jose Torres-Aguilera

Mineta Transportation Institute

The California Freight Mobility Plan 2020 lists the Los Angeles-Inland Empire trade corridor region as a prominent industrial hub experiencing an increase in freight flows. The California Freight Mobility Plan also regards automated truck platoon (ATP) as an emerging opportunity to minimize congestion on the trade corridor routes. Percentage change in accessibility from 2022 (“without” ATP) to 2040 (“with” ATP) is calculated for the eighteen industry sectors of the Los Angeles-Inland Empire trade corridor. The application of the accessibility formulation was carried out with data on travel time from I-710 and I-10 within Los Angeles County. The findings suggest that …

The Menin Inhibitor Revumenib In Kmt2a-Rearranged Or Npm1-Mutant Leukaemia, Ghayas C Issa, John Dipersio, Shalini Shenoy, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Targeting critical epigenetic regulators reverses aberrant transcription in cancer, thereby restoring normal tissue function

Attention-Based Data Analytic Models For Traffic Flow Predictions, Kaushal Kumar, Yupeng Wei

Mineta Transportation Institute

Traffic congestion causes Americans to lose millions of hours and dollars each year. In fact, 1.9 billion gallons of fuel are wasted each year due to traffic congestion, and each hour stuck in traffic costs about $21 in wasted time and fuel. The traffic congestion can be caused by various factors, such as bottlenecks, traffic incidents, bad weather, work zones, poor traffic signal timing, and special events. One key step to addressing traffic congestion and identifying its root cause is an accurate prediction of traffic flow. Accurate traffic flow prediction is also important for the successful deployment of smart transportation …

Cnih3 Deletion Dysregulates Dorsal Hippocampal Transcription Across The Estrous Cycle, Bernard Mulvey, Hannah E. Frye, Tania Lintz, Stuart Fass, Eric Tycksen, Elliot C. Nelson, Jose A. Morón, Joseph D. Dougherty

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In females, the hippocampus, a critical brain region for coordination of learning, memory, and behavior, displays altered physiology and behavioral output across the estrous or menstrual cycle. However, the molecular effectors and cell types underlying these observed cyclic changes have only been partially characterized to date. Recently, profiling of mice null for the AMPA receptor trafficking gene

Nitric Oxide-Driven Modifications Of Lipoic Arm Inhibit Α-Ketoacid Dehydrogenases, Gretchen L Seim, Steven V John, Nicholas L Arp, Zixiang Fang, David J Pagliarini, Jing Fan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC) and oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (OGDC), which belong to the mitochondrial α-ketoacid dehydrogenase family, play crucial roles in cellular metabolism. These multi-subunit enzyme complexes use lipoic arms covalently attached to their E2 subunits to transfer an acyl group to coenzyme A (CoA). Here, we report a novel mechanism capable of substantially inhibiting PDHC and OGDC: reactive nitrogen species (RNS) can covalently modify the thiols on their lipoic arms, generating a series of adducts that block catalytic activity. S-Nitroso-CoA, a product between RNS and the E2 subunit's natural substrate, CoA, can efficiently deliver these modifications onto the lipoic …

Society For Immunotherapy Of Cancer (Sitc) Consensus Definitions For Resistance To Combinations Of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors With Chemotherapy, Naiyer Rizvi, Foluso O. Ademuyiwa, Z Alexander Cao, Helen X. Chen, Robert L. Ferris, Sarah B. Goldberg, Matthew D. Hellmann, Ranee Mehra, Ina Rhee, Jong Chul Park, Harriet Kluger, Hussein Tawbi, Ryan J. Sullivan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Although immunotherapy can offer profound clinical benefit for patients with a variety of difficult-to-treat cancers, many tumors either do not respond to upfront treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) or progressive/recurrent disease occurs after an interval of initial control. Improved response rates have been demonstrated with the addition of ICIs to cytotoxic therapies, leading to approvals from the US Food and Drug Administration and regulatory agencies in other countries for ICI-chemotherapy combinations in a number of solid tumor indications, including breast, head and neck, gastric, and lung cancer. Designing trials for patients with tumors that do not respond or stop …

The Perseverance Of Play: An Archaeological Analysis Of Residential Blocks With Preschools At The Amache National Historic Site, Megan Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to expand on the understanding of experiences of Japanese American children, specifically preschool-aged children, within the Amache National Historic Site, a WWII Japanese American internment facility located in Granada, Colorado. Through archaeological methods, GIS analysis, oral histories, and archival research, I analyzed the landscape and material culture of the five residential blocks within Amache that had designated preschools. I then compared these blocks with preschools to residential blocks without preschools to determine if there are any patterns and discernable differences between the two study areas. The findings of this research provide insight into how …

A Trpv4-Dependent Neuroimmune Axis In The Spinal Cord Promotes Neuropathic Pain, Xueming Hu, Lixia Du, Shenbin Liu, Zhou Lan, Kaikai Zang, Jing Feng, Yonghui Zhao, Xingliang Yang, Zili Xie, Peter L. Wang, Aaron M. Ver Heul, Lvyi Chen, Vijay K. Samineni, Yan-Qing Wang, Kory J. Lavine, Robert W. Gereau, Gregory F. Wu, Hongzhen Hu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Microglia, resident macrophages of the CNS, are essential to brain development, homeostasis, and disease. Microglial activation and proliferation are hallmarks of many CNS diseases, including neuropathic pain. However, molecular mechanisms that govern the spinal neuroimmune axis in the setting of neuropathic pain remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that genetic ablation or pharmacological blockade of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 4 (TRPV4) markedly attenuated neuropathic pain-like behaviors in a mouse model of spared nerve injury. Mechanistically, microglia-expressed TRPV4 mediated microglial activation and proliferation and promoted functional and structural plasticity of excitatory spinal neurons through release of lipocalin-2. Our results suggest …

Targeted Deletion Of Fgf9 In Tendon Disrupts Mineralization Of The Developing Enthesis, Elahe Ganji, Connor Leek, William Duncan, Debabrata Patra, David M Ornitz, Megan L Killian

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The enthesis is a transitional tissue between tendon and bone that matures postnatally. The development and maturation of the enthesis involve cellular processes likened to an arrested growth plate. In this study, we explored the role of fibroblast growth factor 9 (Fgf9), a known regulator of chondrogenesis and vascularization during bone development, on the structure and function of the postnatal enthesis. First, we confirmed spatial expression of Fgf9 in the tendon and enthesis using in situ hybridization. We then used Cre-lox recombinase to conditionally knockout Fgf9 in mouse tendon and enthesis (Scx-Cre) and characterized enthesis morphology as well as mechanical …

Current State Of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Imaging, Challenges And Future Directions, Ali Nabavizadeh, Matthew J Barkovich, Ali Mian, Van Ngo, Anahita Fathi Kazerooni, Javier E Villanueva-Meyer

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Imaging plays a central role in neuro-oncology including primary diagnosis, treatment planning, and surveillance of tumors. The emergence of quantitative imaging and radiomics provided an uprecedented opportunity to compile mineable databases that can be utilized in a variety of applications. In this review, we aim to summarize the current state of conventional and advanced imaging techniques, standardization efforts, fast protocols, contrast and sedation in pediatric neuro-oncologic imaging, radiomics-radiogenomics, multi-omics and molecular imaging approaches. We will also address the existing challenges and discuss future directions.

Perceived Social Isolation And Turnover Intention Among Black Faculty At Midwestern And Southeastern Public U.S. Universities, Trenee T. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Despite organizational recruitment and retention initiatives, Black faculty remain underrepresented in U.S. higher education. Existing research substantiates that Black faculty continue to encounter the isolating effects of racial discrimination. The purpose of this quantitative survey research was to examine the association between perceived social isolation and turnover intention among Black faculty at predominately White institutions (PWIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This study also sought to identify systemic or social practices that counteract Black faculty retention initiatives. Two research questions guided the study: (a) Does perceived social isolation increase turnover intention among Black faculty? and (b) To what …

Perspective Of Nurse Practitioners On The Use Of Ebr Embedded In The Electronic Medical Record, Deashandrea Thomas Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The methods by which U.S. healthcare services are delivered are changing within the healthcare delivery system. The decision-making processes of healthcare providers are being guided by standardized protocols, clinical guidelines, policies, and procedures developed through evidence-based research. These clinical-decision support tools are adopted by healthcare organizations and embedded into electronic medical records to improve and standardize care among healthcare providers. Although these clinical support decision tools are readily available to healthcare providers, it is important to understand how these tools are being perceived among nurse practitioners. It is vital that the healthcare system understand the experiences of nurse practitioners with …

Legitimization Of Affective Domain Learning: A Transformative Mixed-Methods Analysis Of Learning Outcomes Assessment Practice, Lan Misty Song

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ever since the development of Bloom’s Taxonomy, educational institutions have primarily focused on the cognitive learning domain, concerned with the transmission and acquisition of knowledge and skills. Recently, educators and researchers have become more interested in the affective domain—concerned with attitudes, emotions, and values—and how it affects student learning outcomes. While it is important to address affective-domain learning in any educational setting, one discipline giving it particular attention is nursing; their accrediting bodies are increasingly incorporating affective learning outcomes (ALOs) in their criteria. Thus, examining how nursing programs assess for ALOs may give insight in how to successfully integrate affective-domain …

Speech-Language Pathologists’ Barriers To Providing Services To The Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Children Ages 2–9, Irene S. García-Benavides

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored the knowledge and experiences of 12 speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regarding the culture and linguistic processes of the Deaf culture when assessing and treating deaf and hard of hearing children ages 2 to 9. Data analysis has resulted in identification of the following main themes: (a) The Scope of Practice, (b) Barriers Regarding Culturally and Linguistically Informed Practices, and (c) Awareness of Similarities and Differences in Language Acquisition and Structures in English and American Sign Language (ASL). The findings of this study underscored the importance of knowledge that SLPs have to acquire in order to provide …

A Multiple Case Study: The Impact Of Instructional Coaching On Novice Teachers, Misti N Tope

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the problem of retention for novice teachers in struggling schools. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to provide insight into the support instructional coaches provide novice teachers in an urban school district. School administrators have worked to determine the best method for utilizing their instructional coach to improve instructional practices and increase novice teacher retention. Data were collected using structured interviews with instructional leadership team members and their novice teachers. Three research sites were used, including one elementary, middle, and high school in an Oklahoma large urban school district. Findings indicated that good instructional …

Venous Leg Ulcers: An Analysis Of Nursing Knowledge, Shelia Moore-Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project evaluated the knowledge level of wound center nursing staff on venous leg ulcer etiology and treatments after an educational intervention. To determine the effectiveness of the educational intervention, participants completed a pretest and posttest evaluation. Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are chronic lower extremity ulcers affecting older Americans. VLUs are painful and negatively affect activities of daily living. Inadequate VLU treatment can become an infectious process that can ultimately threaten limb existence. A quantitative, quasi-experimental study was conducted over three weeks in a hospital-based wound care center in central Florida. The theoretical framework applied to this project is Lydia …

Burnout In Medical Assistants In Primary Care: Can Mindfulness Be A Solution?, Natalee D. Calais

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Burnout is described as feelings associated with emotional exhaustion, depersonalization of patients, and a loss of sense of personal accomplishment and it is unique to healthcare workers. Current research highlights this condition among physicians, nurses, and mid-level providers; however, insufficient research exists regarding the effects of burnout on medical assistants. Research led to mindfulness as a possible solution defined as an intentional regulation of attention and awareness of the present moment. This project sought to see if mindfulness practices could be utilized to mitigate the effects of burnout in medical assistants. It was hypothesized that mindfulness could be a solution. …

A Cross-Sectional Study Of Tampering In Xtampza Er, An Abuse-Deterrent Formulation Of An Extended-Release Opioid, In A Treatment Center Population, Jennifer Jewell, Joshua Black, Matthew Ellis, Heather Olsen, Janetta Iwanicki, Richard Dart

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: While the current landscape of opioid use disorder (OUD) is complicated by the increase in use of non-prescription opioids, prescription opioids continue to be frequently used in non-medical ways. In response to this abuse, pharmaceutical companies have developed abuse deterrent formulations (ADFs) for extended-release (ER) opioids. To test the effectiveness of Xtampza ER ADF (oxycodone myristate) at reducing tampering, its rate of tampering in a treatment-center population was compared to immediate release (IR) single entity (SE) oxycodone, other ER oxycodone opioids, and ER oxymorphone.

METHODS: Data were collected between the third quarter of 2018 and the third …

Tnk2/Ack1-Mediated Phosphorylation Of Atp5f1a (Atp Synthase F1 Subunit Alpha) Selectively Augments Survival Of Prostate Cancer While Engendering Mitochondrial Vulnerability, Surbhi Chouhan, Mithila Sawant, Cody Weimholt, Jingqin Luo, Robert W Sprung, Mailyn Terrado, David M Mueller, H Shelton Earp, Nupam P. Mahajan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The challenge of rapid macromolecular synthesis enforces the energy-hungry cancer cell mitochondria to switch their metabolic phenotypes, accomplished by activation of oncogenic tyrosine kinases. Precisely how kinase activity is directly exploited by cancer cell mitochondria to meet high-energy demand, remains to be deciphered. Here we show that a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, TNK2/ACK1 (tyrosine kinase non receptor 2), phosphorylated ATP5F1A (ATP synthase F1 subunit alpha) at Tyr243 and Tyr246 (Tyr200 and 203 in the mature protein, respectively) that not only increased the stability of complex V, but also increased mitochondrial energy output in cancer cells. Further, phospho-ATP5F1A (p-Y-ATP5F1A) prevented its binding …

Determinants Of Mortality For Ventilated Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia And Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia, Hayley Motowski, Daniel Ilges, Nicholas Hampton, Marin H. Kollef, Scott T. Micek

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is the most common hospital-acquired infection, accounting for 22% of all nosocomial infections. The available studies to date have not attempted to assess whether confounding factors may account for the observed difference in mortality for the two forms of nosocomial pneumonia associated with mechanical ventilation, namely ventilated HAP (vHAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

OBJECTIVES: To determine if vHAP is an independent predictor of mortality among patients with nosocomial pneumonia.

DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Single-center retrospective cohort study conducted at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, between 2016 and 2019. Adult patients with a pneumonia discharge diagnosis were …

Hiv Increases The Risk Of Cigarette Smoke-Induced Emphysema Through Mmp-9, Bashar S. Staitieh, Simran Malik, Sara C. Auld, Gregory W. Wigger, Xian Fan, Andrew T. Roth, Tanima Chatterjee, Itika Arora, S. Vamsee Raju, Sonya Heath, Saurabh Aggrawal

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: HIV is associated with an increased risk for emphysema. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) is a lung tissue remodeling enzyme associated with emphysema. We previously found MMP-9 activity increases with increases in oxidative stress and that HIV increases alveolar oxidative stress. We hypothesized that HIV proteins would increase the risk of cigarette smoke-induced emphysema due to MMP-9.

METHODS: HIV-1 transgenic rats and wild-type littermates were exposed to cigarette smoke or sham for 8 weeks. Lung compliance and histology were assessed. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), primary alveolar macrophages (AM), and serum samples were obtained. A rat alveolar macrophage cell line was exposed …

Pulmonary Open, Robotic, And Thoracoscopic Lobectomy (Portal) Study: An Analysis Of 5721 Cases, Michael S. Kent, Bryan Meyers, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze outcomes of open lobectomy (OL), VATS, and robotic-assisted lobectomy (RL).

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Robotic-assisted lobectomy has seen increasing adoption for treatment of early-stage lung cancer. Comparative data regarding these approaches is largely from single-institution case series or administrative datasets.

METHODS: Retrospective data was collected from 21 institutions from 2013 to 2019. All consecutive cases performed for clinical stage IA-IIIA lung cancer were included. Neoadjuvant cases were excluded. Propensity-score matching (1:1) was based on age, sex, race, smoking-status, FEV1%, Zubrod score, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, tumor size, and clinical T and …

Modeling Vehicle-Miles Of Travel Accounting For Latent Heterogeneity, Fatemeh Nazari, Abolfazl (Kouros) Mohammadian

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Vehicle use is associated with negative externalities such as traffic congestion, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. Particularly in the U.S. as a car-oriented country, vehicle use — in terms of vehicle-miles of travel (VMT) — has been on the rise and is projected to increase in the future. To curb the VMT growth and mitigate the associated externalities, policy makers can design informed strategies based on VMT predicted by vehicle use models. However, traditional vehicle use models capture merely the observed heterogeneity across vehicle decision making units (e.g., individuals) and ignore the latent or taste heterogeneity sourced in …

Metabolically Healthy Obesity Is Not A Myth, Sarah S Farabi, Gordon I Smith, Jun Yoshino, Samuel Klein

2020-Current year OA Pubs

People with obesity who do not have the metabolic syndrome or components of the metabolic syndrome have been characterized as having metabolically healthy obesity (MHO). However, the existence of MHO has been questioned because people with MHO are at greater risk of developing diabetes and fatal cardiovascular disease than people who are lean and healthy. Here we report findings from a 25-year-old woman with rigorously defined MHO (normal oral glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity [assessed using the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp procedure], plasma triglyceride, and intrahepatic triglyceride content) evaluated at baseline (body mass index, 37.7 kg/m

Aberrant Right Gastric Vein Mimicking Hepatic Spread Of Prostate Cancer On Psma-Pet/Ct, Genevieve C Muñoz, Tyler J Fraum

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Hepatic vasculature can exhibit a wide variety of variants, some of which may resemble pathologic findings. In this case, a 53-year-old man presenting for staging of biochemically recurrent prostatic adenocarcinoma was found to have focally increased prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) tracer uptake on positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in hepatic segment IV. This finding was initially concerning for hepatic metastasis of the patient's primary prostate adenocarcinoma. However, the area of radiotracer uptake was not associated with a discrete lesion on CT, and the geographic morphology of the uptake raised the possibility of a vascular etiology. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of …

Harmonization And Standardization Of Nucleus Pulposus Cell Extraction And Culture Methods, Shaghayegh Basatvat, Liufang Jing, Lori Setton, Xiaohong Tan, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: In vitro studies using nucleus pulposus (NP) cells are commonly used to investigate disc cell biology and pathogenesis, or to aid in the development of new therapies. However, lab-to-lab variability jeopardizes the much-needed progress in the field. Here, an international group of spine scientists collaborated to standardize extraction and expansion techniques for NP cells to reduce variability, improve comparability between labs and improve utilization of funding and resources.

METHODS: The most commonly applied methods for NP cell extraction, expansion, and re-differentiation were identified using a questionnaire to research groups worldwide. NP cell extraction methods from rat, rabbit, pig, dog, …

Apolipoprotein M Attenuates Anthracycline Cardiotoxicity And Lysosomal Injury, Zhen Guo, Carla Valenzuela Ripoll, Antonino Picataggi, David R Rawnsley, Mualla Ozcan, Ezhilarasi Chendamarai, Amanda Girardi, Terrence Riehl, Hosannah Evie, Ahmed Diab, Attila Kovacs, Krzysztof Hyrc, Xiucui Ma, Lauren N Pedersen, Carmen Bergom, Nathan O Stitziel, Michael P Rettig, John F Dipersio, Abhinav Diwan, Ali Javaheri, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Apolipoprotein M (ApoM) binds sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and is inversely associated with mortality in human heart failure (HF). Here, we show that anthracyclines such as doxorubicin (Dox) reduce circulating ApoM in mice and humans, that ApoM is inversely associated with mortality in patients with anthracycline-induced heart failure, and ApoM heterozygosity in mice increases Dox-induced mortality. In the setting of Dox stress, our studies suggest ApoM can help sustain myocardial autophagic flux in a post-transcriptional manner, attenuate Dox cardiotoxicity, and prevent lysosomal injury.

Effect Of Fecal Microbial Transplantation On Clostridioides Difficile Infection: Dysbiosis, Metabolites And Health Related Quality Of Life, Kevin W Garey, Paul Feuerstadt, Erik R Dubberke, Amy Guo, Glenn S Tillotson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Predicting Locations Of Cryptic Pockets From Single Protein Structures Using The Pocketminer Graph Neural Network, Artur Meller, Michael Ward, Jonathan Borowsky, Meghana Kshirsagar, Jeffrey M Lotthammer, Felipe Oviedo, Juan Lavista Ferres, Gregory R Bowman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cryptic pockets expand the scope of drug discovery by enabling targeting of proteins currently considered undruggable because they lack pockets in their ground state structures. However, identifying cryptic pockets is labor-intensive and slow. The ability to accurately and rapidly predict if and where cryptic pockets are likely to form from a structure would greatly accelerate the search for druggable pockets. Here, we present PocketMiner, a graph neural network trained to predict where pockets are likely to open in molecular dynamics simulations. Applying PocketMiner to single structures from a newly curated dataset of 39 experimentally confirmed cryptic pockets demonstrates that it …