Life Sciences Commons^™

Patient-Reported Outcomes Of Omission Of Breast Surgery Following Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial, Helen M Johnson, Heather Lin, Yu Shen, Emilia J Diego, Savitri Krishnamurthy, Benjamin D Smith, Anthony Lucci, Susie X Sun, Simona F Shaitelman, Melissa P Mitchell, Judy C Boughey, Richard L White, Gaiane M Rauch, Henry M Kuerer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Patients should have an active role in decisions about pursuing or forgoing specific therapies in treatment de-escalation trials.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate longitudinal patient-reported outcomes (PROs) encompassing decisional comfort and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients who elected to enroll in a clinical trial evaluating radiotherapy alone, without breast surgery, for invasive breast cancers with exceptional response to neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Prospective, single-group, phase 2 clinical trial at 7 US medical centers. Women aged 40 years or older with invasive cT1-2 N0-1 M0 triple-negative or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (ERBB2)-positive breast cancer …

Genetic Susceptibility To Cognitive Decline Following Craniospinal Irradiation For Pediatric Central Nervous System Tumors, Austin L Brown, Pagna Sok, Kimberly P Raghubar, Philip J Lupo, Melissa A Richard, Jun J Yang, Mehmet Fatih Okcu, Murali M Chintagumpala, Amar Gajjar, Lisa S Kahalley, Heather Conklin, Michael E Scheurer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Survivors of pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors treated with craniospinal irradiation (CSI) exhibit long-term cognitive difficulties. Goals of this study were to evaluate longitudinal effects of candidate and novel genetic variants on cognitive decline following CSI.

METHODS: Intelligence quotient (IQ), working memory (WM), and processing speed (PS) were longitudinally collected from patients treated with CSI (n = 241). Genotype-by-time interactions were evaluated using mixed-effects linear regression to identify common variants (minor allele frequency > 1%) associated with cognitive performance change. Novel variants associated with cognitive decline (P < 5 × 10-5) in individuals of European ancestry (n = 163) were considered replicated if they demonstrated consistent genotype-by-time interactions (P < .05) in individuals of non-European ancestries (n = 78) and achieved genome-wide statistical significance (P < 5 × 10-8) in a meta-analysis across ancestry groups.

RESULTS: Participants were mostly males (65%) diagnosed with embryonal tumors (98%) at …

The Recently-Described Ant-Like Leaf Beetle Elonus Gruberi (Coleoptera: Aderidae) In Michigan, Daniel R. Swanson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The ant-like leaf beetle Elonus gruberi Gompel, 2017 (Coleoptera: Aderidae) is reported for the first time in Michigan. This new state record, initially based on two recent collections by the author and then supplemented with additional material in a Michigan entomological collection, highlights how the constituents of faunal lists can require re-appraisal after taxonomic revision, particularly where splitting of species has occurred. The composition of Elonus Casey, 1895 in Michigan as well as characters for identifying E. gruberi also are discussed.

First Records Of Three Carpophilinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) In Quebec, Ludovic Leclerc, Pierrick Bloin, Françoise Pelletier, Christian Hébert, Kishan Sambaraju

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We report first records for three species of Carpophilinae (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), two for the province of Quebec (Caplothorax lugubris and Carpophilus corticinus), a third species (Carpophilus marginatus) being a first report for Canada. These beetles were trapped while conducting population assessments of oak wilt vectors and in amateur collections. Biological information and a brief description of the records including distribution data in Quebec for the three species are presented.

Four New State Records Of Delphacid Planthopper Species (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) From Illinois, Usa, Morgan E. Brown, Christopher H. Dietrich

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Four planthopper species– Aethodelphax aetocephalus (Beamer 1948), Bakerella cinerea Beamer, 1945, Bakerella minuta Beamer, 1950, and Pissonotus aphidioides Van Duzee, 1897 – are newly recorded from Illinois based on collections obtained in the summers of 2005 and 2022. Specimens were collected via net-sweeping and vacuuming of herbaceous vegetation and identified using external morphology and male genitalia morphology. Locality and collection data for each species are summarized; and relevant taxonomic and ecological information for each species is provided. Photographs of pinned specimens and male genital capsules are also provided. These new records reveal apparently disjunct populations of A. aetocephalus and B. …

Periodical Cicadas (Magicicada Spp.): Predator Satiation, Or Too Much Of A Good Thing?, John R. Cooley, Greg Holmes

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We report a novel mode of ecdysis failure in periodical cicadas (Magicicada spp. Davis) tied to the cicadas’ reliance on high densities for survival in the face of predation. Under extremely high densities, cicadas can disrupt others undergoing ecdysis by knocking them loose from their perches, trapping them, or causing physical damage. Our observations raise the possibility that while periodical cicadas thrive at high densities, it is possible that some densities are so high that they inhibit success.

An Implementation Of The Method Of Moments On Chemical Systems With Constant And Time-Dependent Rates, Emmanuel O. Adara, Roger B. Sidje

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Among numerical techniques used to facilitate the analysis of biochemical reactions, we can use the method of moments to directly approximate statistics such as the mean numbers of molecules. The method is computationally viable in time and memory, compared to solving the chemical master equation (CME) which is notoriously expensive. In this study, we apply the method of moments to a chemical system with a constant rate representing a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) model, as well as another system with time-dependent propensities representing the susceptible, infected, and recovered (SIR) model with periodic contact rate. We assess the accuracy of …

Description Of The Adult Male Scorpiops Tongtongi Tang, 2022, With Further Comments On The Genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 In China (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae), Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

Adult male Scorpiops tongtongi Tang, 2022 is described based on recently collected specimens, which revealed a strong sexual dimorphism in the pedipalp finger lobe of this species (present in males, absent in females), lending more support to the separation from its geographic neighbors, S. jendeki Kovařík, 1994, S. shidian (Qi et al., 2005), S. zhangshuyuani Ythier, 2019, and S. beccaloniae (Kovařík, 2005). The morphological studies of Chinese Scorpiops are further discussed. A refined mensurational method of Scorpiops pedipalp chela is proposed. Morphological comparisons of both quantitative and qualitative characters for all Scorpiops from Yunnan are provided, along with a dichotomous …

Synopsis Of Biological Control For European Fruit Lecanium (Parthenolecanium Corni) By Parasitoids In North America And Preliminary Findings In Hybrid Hazelnut Orchards, Simone G. Traband, Hailey N. Shanovich, John C. Luhman, Brian Aukema

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The European fruit lecanium, Parthenolecanium corni (Bouché) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) is a native insect to North America that causes significant damage to a large variety of fruit and ornamental trees worldwide. Here we provide a summary of the insect’s worldwide distribution and synopsis of all the Hymenopteran parasitoid wasps found to parasitize P. corni in North America from past literature. Additionally, a preliminary parasitoid survey of P. corni was carried out in two hybrid hazel (Corylus avellana × C. americana) plantings as hazelnuts represent a potential new crop for the region. European fruit lecanium, Parthenolecanium corni (Bouché) (Hemiptera: Coccidae), were collected …

Abundance And Diversity Of Bees Visiting Flowering Pennycress, A New Oilseed Crop In The Midwestern Usa, Frank Forcella, Zachary M. Portman, Samantha S. Wells, William Perry, Russ W. Gesch, Yesuf Mohammed, Cody Hoerning, Alex Hard, Tad L. Wesley, Winthrop B. Phippen

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Oilseed pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) is a new, autumn-sown, “cash cover crop” for the Midwestern USA and elsewhere. Anthesis occurs in early spring when few other plants bloom, and its flowers attract early-emerging bees. However, the taxonomic composition of these bees was unknown. Consequently, we systematically captured and identified the genera and species of bees visiting pennycress flowers throughout anthesis at five site-years: two in Illinois and three in Minnesota. A cumulative total of 28 bee species were found across site-years. The most common genera were Andrena (10 species), Lasioglossum (12 species), and Halictus (2 species). Rarer genera were …

Limoniic Acid Is A Sex Attractant Pheromone Component Of Limonius Agonus (Coleoptera: Elateridae), Wim Van Herk, Regine Gries, Jocelyn Smith, Ian Scott, Gerhard Gries

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Recently, (E)-4-ethyloct-4-enoic acid (limoniic acid) has been reported as the major sex attractant pheromone component of L. canus and L. californicus (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in western North America. Our objective was to determine whether limoniic acid is also a sex attractant pheromone component of the eastern field wireworm, Limonius agonus (Say). In gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) analyses of headspace volatiles from L. agonus females, antennae from male L. agonus responded to limoniic acid as a trace component. In field experiments, traps baited with synthetic limoniic acid, or its analog (E)-5-ethyloct-4-enoic acid, afforded captures of male L. …

Observations On Two Stem-Boring Coleoptera Of Prickly-Ash (Zanthoxylum Americanum) In Michigan: Micracis Suturalis (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) And Sternidius Alpha (Cerambycidae), Robert A. Haack

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The xylophagous scolytine Micracis suturalis LeConte and the cerambycid beetle Sternidius alpha (Say) were reared or collected from trunk sections of prickly-ash, Zanthoxylum americanum Mill., in Ingham County, Michigan during 1986 to 1988. Most M. suturalis gallery systems were initiated by August in host material cut in late May 1987. Micracis suturalis gallery-system density data are presented. No M. suturalis were reared from caged host material one-year after cutting. Sternidius alpha was univoltine, with adults emerging from mid-May to mid-July from host material cut the previous spring. From 1 to 8 S. alpha larvae originated from individual oviposition sites, averaging …

Alderfly (Megaloptera: Sialidae) Larval Emergence And Pupation Site Selection At Intermediate Lake, Antrim County, Michigan, Robert A. Haack

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Larvae of the alderfly Sialis mohri Ross were collected in barrier pitfall traps along the shoreline of Intermediate Lake during a 3-year period (2015–2017). Two barriers (each 1-m long) were used per trap in 2015 and 2016, being placed on opposite sides of a central collection cup that was about 1 m from the shoreline at time of deployment. In 2015, with two traps monitored at 4–to 18-day intervals from 19 April to 29 June, larvae were collected first during the 19 April – 7 May period and last during 16–31 May. In 2016, using the same two trap locations, …

Differences In The Critical Thermal Maximum Between Two Size Classes Of Stenonema Femoratum (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae), Jaiden Frantz, David Houghton

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Temperature is an important variable affecting the behavior and survival of aquatic organisms; however, little is known about the effects of size and corresponding developmental differences on aquatic insect temperature tolerance. We tested the critical thermal maximum (CTM) of large (head capsule width mean = 3.5 mm) and small (1.9 mm) specimens of Stenonema femoratum (Say) by raising the experimental temperature by 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5ºC per minute during laboratory CTM trials. Size class and temperature increase rate combinations were randomized, and each combination was tested over four trials, for a total of 24 trials of four specimens each. Two-way …

The Caddisflies (Trichoptera) Of Finch Creek, Antrim County, Michigan (Usa), David Houghton, Robert Haack

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The caddisfly assemblages of Finch Creek, a small woodland stream in northern Lower Michigan, was sampled along its entire continuum during May, June, July, and September 2021–2022 using ultraviolet blacklight traps. A total of 98 species representing 15 families and 49 genera were collected, including two species [Lepidostoma prominens (Banks) and L. sommermanae (Ross)] not previously reported from Michigan, and several others either not previously found in the Lower Peninsula or not reported from the state for >70 years. A non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination determined distinct species assemblages corresponding to the spring, summer, and fall months. Shredders dominated the …

The Caddisflies (Trichoptera) Of Drummond Island, Michigan, With An Assessment Of Lake Assemblage Biomass, David Houghton, Robert Haack

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The adult caddisfly assemblages of Drummond Island, a Michigan island in Lake Huron near the Canadian border, were sampled in 2021–2022 from 3 sites on Lake Huron, 8 inland lakes, 2 vernal pools, and 1 stream. Adult caddisflies from each site were sampled in spring, summer, and autumn using ultraviolet blacklight traps. A total of 89 species representing 37 genera and 12 families was collected, including several not seen in Michigan for 50–70 years and the first confirmation of the rare species Beothukus complicatus (Banks) (Phryganeidae) from the state. A non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination determined distinct species assemblages between lakes, …

New Province Records Of Southern Ontario Caddisflies (Trichoptera), David Houghton, David Etnier

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Thirty-two caddisfly species are reported from Ontario for the first time, including 24 in the family Hydroptilidae, three in the Hydropsychidae, and one each in the Leptoceridae, Limnephilidae, Molannidae, and Polycentropodidae. The known caddisfly richness of the province increases from 309 to 341 species, including a doubling of the known hydroptilid fauna. Many more species undoubtedly remain to be discovered in this large and relatively undisturbed province.

Temporal Changes In Temperature May Suggest Microhabitat Shifts In Larval Spongillafly Climacia Areolaris Hagen (Neuroptera: Sisyridae) Abundance And Density In A Temperate Freshwater Lake, John R. Wallace, M. Eric Benbow, Cindy Willman-Kinsey

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Abiotic factors such as temperature and depth are known to affect aquatic insect populations and are thought to be major variables that directly impact how communities are assembled and populations distributed. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of temperature and depth in structuring C. areolaris populations within a temperate freshwater quarry. Larval densities among individual sponges at different depths were determined over six months in a Pennsylvania quarry. Sponges from four depths (7.0 - 8.0 m; 8.1 - 9.0 m; 9.1 - 10.0 m and 10.1 - 12.0) were collected once per month (n = 3) …

Characterizing Insect Communities Within Thin-Soil Environments, Katherine Mcnamara Manning, Kayla I. Perry, Christie A. Bahlai

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Natural thin-soil environments are those which have little to no soil accumulation atop hard substrates. Many of these natural thin-soil environments, such as alvars, rocky lakeshores or glades, cliffs and cliff bluffs, and barrens, are found in the Great Lakes Region of North America. Due to their ubiquity and ecosystem services they provide, characterizing insects in sensitive environments such as these is important. This study monitored insects in nine thin-soil sites, within three regions, on a 630 km latitudinal gradient in the Southeastern Great Lakes Region of North America from June - August 2019. Over 22,000 insect specimens collected were …

Cover Art For Tgle Vol. 56 Nos. 1 & 2

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Cover Art for TGLE Vol. 56 Nos. 1 & 2

Cover Pages For Tgle Vol. 56 Nos. 1 & 2

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Cover Pages for TGLE Vol. 56 Nos. 1 & 2

Full Issue For Tgle Vol. 56 Nos. 1 & 2

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Full Issue for TGLE Vol. 56 Nos. 1 & 2

Streamlined Synthesis Of Potential Dual-Emissive Fluorescent Silicon Quantum Dots (Siqds) For Cell Imaging, Di Sun, Steven Wu, Jeremy P. Martin, Kirati Tayutivutikul, Guodong Du, Colin Combs, Diane Darland, Julia Zhao

Biology Faculty Publications

One of the current challenges of working with nanomaterials in bioapplications is having a tool that is biocompatible (non-toxic) and produces stable, intense fluorescence for bioimaging. To address these challenges, we have developed a streamlined and one-pot synthetic route for silicon-based quantum dots (SiQDs) using a hydrothermal method. Part of our unique approach for designing the SiQDs was to incorporate (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES), which is an amphipathic molecule with hydroxyl and amine functional groups available for modification. In order to reduce the toxicity of APTES, we chose glucose as a reducing agent for the reaction. The resulting SiQDs produced potent, …

Evaluation Of In Vitro Antioxidant, Anti-Obesity, And Anti-Diabetic Activities Of, Alaa S Mohamed, Essam Mohamed Elsebaie, Wesam Mohammed Abdelrhman, Nabila Yahia Mahmoud Abdulmaguid, Rasha M Bahnasy, Arwa Mohamed Mohamed Mahmoud Elashry, Nora Hamdy Mouhamed El-Wakeil, Azhar Mostafa Mohamed Khalil, Hesham F Amin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Opuntia ficus cladodes (OFC) are considered one of the wastes that result from opuntia cultivation, and their disposal by traditional methods results in many environmental problems. Therefore, this study was conducted with two aims. The first was the production of OFC gel, and the evaluation of its in vitro antioxidant (by two methods, DPPH and ABTS), anti-obesity, and anti-diabetic activities. The second was an investigation of the effects of different concentrations of this gel (0, 50, and 100%) as an edible coating on the quality of shrimp during 8 days of refrigerated storage. The results showed that this gel was …

The Characterization And Evaluation Of The Soluble Triggering Receptor Expressed On Myeloid Cells-Like Transcript-1 In Stable Coronary Artery Disease, Zaida Bayrón-Marrero, Siobhan Branfield, Javier Menéndez-Pérez, Benjamín Nieves-López, Laura Ospina, Loyda M Melendez, Angelia Gibson, Gerónimo Maldonado-Martínez, A Valance Washington

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Platelets play crucial roles in the development and progression of coronary artery disease (CAD). The triggering receptor expressed in myeloid cells-like transcript-1 (TLT-1) is stored in platelet α granules, and activated platelets release a soluble fragment (sTLT-1). We set out to better characterize the constituent amino acids of sTLT-1 and to evaluate sTLT-1 for use as a biomarker in patients with stable CAD. We evaluated sTLT-1 release using immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry and employed statistical methods to retrospectively correlate sTLT-1 concentrations, utilizing ELISA in plasma samples from 1510 patients with documented stable CAD. We identified TLT-1 residues to 133 in …

Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer: Expert Consensus Report On The State Of The Science, Rachel N Grisham, Brian M Slomovitz, Nicole Andrews, Susana Banerjee, Jubilee Brown, Herman Chui, Amanda N Fader, Stephanie Gaillard, Charlie Gourley, Anil K Sood, Bradley J Monk, Kathleen N Moore, Isabelle Ray-Coquard, Ie-Ming Shih, Shannon N Westin, Kwong-Kwok Wong, David M Gershenson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Compared with high-grade serous carcinoma, low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary or peritoneum is a less frequent epithelial ovarian cancer type that is poorly sensitive to chemotherapy and affects younger women, many of whom endure years of ineffective treatments and poor quality of life. The pathogenesis of this disease and its management remain incompletely understood. However, recent advances in the molecular characterization of the disease and identification of novel targeted therapies with activity in low-grade serous carcinoma offer the promise of improved outcomes. To update clinicians regarding recent scientific and clinical trial advancements and discuss unanswered questions related to low-grade …

In Vitro Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory, And Photoprotective Activities Of Aqueous Extract Of The Endemic Plant Hammada Scoparia L. From Algeria, Benine Chaima, Djahra Ali Boutlelis, Laiche Ammar Touhami, Tlili Hajer, Tliba Ali, Ben Arfa Abdelkarim, Najjaa Hanen

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

This study aimed to analyze the chemical profile and evaluate the biological activities of the aqueous extract of H. Scoparia, an endemic plant found in Southeastern Algeria. The aqueous extract was subjected to phytochemical screening, RP-HPLC, and FT-IR analysis. The anti-inflammatory activity was examined using the protein denaturation method, and the photoprotective activity was evaluated using UV-Visible spectrophotometry. The antioxidant activity was assessed using ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays. The study found the presence of various secondary metabolites such as polyphenols, tannins, and saponins. This study suggests that H. Scoparia extract has the potential as a natural source of bio-actives …

Environmentally Sustainable Computationally Spectrophotometric Resolution Strategy For Analysis Single-Tablet Regimens Of Antihypertension With Overlapped Spectra, Ekram Hany Mohamed, Hayam M. Lotfy, Reem H. Obaydo,

Pharmacy

Single tablet regimens (STRs) for hypertension suppression improve patient satisfaction, quality of life, medication and adherence compared to multi-tablet regimens (MTRs). Development of simple cost effective and at the same time green an ecofriendly method for analysis and resolution of multicomponent and complex mixtures is an increasingly important issue in the field of pharmaceutical industry in general and analytical chemistry in specific. Thus, the presented research deals with two main goals, the first one is concerned with developing and applying a fully validated resolution plan using numerical data of signals on manipulated spectra for successive extraction of parent spectra of …

Identifying Early-Life Behavior To Predict Mothering Ability In Swine Utilizing NuTrack System, Savannah Millburn, Ty B. Schmidt, Gary A. Rohrer, Benny Mote

Department of Animal Science: Faculty Publications

Early indicator traits for swine reproduction and longevity support economical selection decision-making. Activity is a key variable impacting a sow’s herd life and productivity. Early-life activities could contribute to farrowing traits including gestation length (GL), number born alive (NBA), and number weaned (NW). Beginning at 20 weeks of age, 480 gilts were video recorded for 7 consecutive days and processed using the NUtrack system. Activity traits included angle rotated (radians), average speed (m/s), distance traveled (m), time spent eating (s), lying lateral (s), lying sternal (s), standing (s), and sitting (s). Final daily activity values were averaged across the …

Aenmd: Annotating Escape From Nonsense-Mediated Decay For Transcripts With Protein-Truncating Variants, Jonathan Klonowski, Qianqian Liang, Zeynep Coban-Akdemir, Cecilia Lo, Dennis Kostka

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

DNA changes that cause premature termination codons (PTCs) represent a large fraction of clinically relevant pathogenic genomic variation. Typically, PTCs induce transcript degradation by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) and render such changes loss-of-function alleles. However, certain PTC-containing transcripts escape NMD and can exert dominant-negative or gain-of-function (DN/GOF) effects. Therefore, systematic identification of human PTC-causing variants and their susceptibility to NMD contributes to the investigation of the role of DN/GOF alleles in human disease. Here we present aenmd, a software for annotating PTC-containing transcript-variant pairs for predicted escape from NMD. aenmd is user-friendly and self-contained. It offers functionality not currently available …