Biomedical Informatics Commons^™

Enhancing Associative Learning In Rats With A Computationally Designed Training Protocol, Xu O Zhang, Yili Zhang, Claire E Cho, Douglas S Engelke, Paul Smolen, John H Byrne, Fabricio H Do-Monte

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Learning requires the activation of protein kinases with distinct temporal dynamics. In Aplysia, nonassociative learning can be enhanced by a computationally designed learning protocol with intertrial intervals (ITIs) that maximize the interaction between fast-activated PKA (protein kinase A) and slow-activated ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase). Whether a similar strategy can enhance associative learning in mammals is unknown.

Methods: We simulated 1000 training protocols with varying ITIs to predict an optimal protocol based on empirical data for PKA and ERK dynamics in rat hippocampus. Adult male rats received the optimal protocol or control protocols in auditory fear conditioning and fear …

Risk Stratification And Prediction Of Severity Of Covid-19 Infection In Patients With Preexisting Cardiovascular Disease, Stanislava Matejin, Igor D Gregoric, Rajko Radovancevic, Slobodan Paessler, Vladimir Perovic

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious viral disease. Cardiovascular diseases and heart failure elevate the risk of mechanical ventilation and fatal outcomes among COVID-19 patients, while COVID-19 itself increases the likelihood of adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Methods: We collected blood samples and clinical data from hospitalized cardiovascular patients with and without proven COVID-19 infection in the time period before the vaccine became available. Statistical correlation analysis and machine learning were used to evaluate and identify individual parameters that could predict the risk of needing mechanical ventilation and patient survival.

Results: Our results confirmed that COVID-19 …

Author Correction: Enhanced Cd19 Activity In B Cells Contributes To Immunodeficiency In Mice Deficient In The Icf Syndrome Gene Zbtb24, Zhengzhou Ying, Swanand Hardikar, Joshua B Plummer, Tewfik Hamidi, Bin Liu, Yueping Chen, Jianjun Shen, Yunxiang Mu, Kevin M Mcbride, Taiping Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Leptomeningeal Disease In Melanoma: An Update On The Developments In Pathophysiology And Clinical Care, Inna Smalley, Adrienne Boire, Priscilla Brastianos, Harriet M Kluger, Eva Hernando-Monge, Peter A Forsyth, Kamran A Ahmed, Keiran S M Smalley, Sherise Ferguson, Michael A Davies, Isabella C Glitza Oliva

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) remains a major challenge in the clinical management of metastatic melanoma patients. Outcomes for patient remain poor, and patients with LMD continue to be excluded from almost all clinical trials. However, recent trials have demonstrated the feasibility of conducting prospective clinical trials in these patients. Further, new insights into the pathophysiology of LMD are identifying rational new therapeutic strategies. Here we present recent advances in the understanding of, and treatment options for, LMD from metastatic melanoma. We also annotate key areas of future focus to accelerate progress for this challenging but emerging field.

Myeloid Lineage Switch In Kmt2a- Rearranged Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treated With Lymphoid Lineagedirected Therapies, Alex Bataller, Tareq Abuasab, David Mccall, Wei Wang, Branko Cuglievan, Ghayas C Issa, Elias Jabbour, Nicholas Short, Courtney D Dinardo, Guilin Tang, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Hagop M Kantarjian, Koji Sasaki

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Lights And Shadows On Local Recurrence After Renal Surgery: When, Why And How To Manage, Luca Di Gianfrancesco, Alessandro Crestani, Antonio Amodeo, Paolo Corsi, Davide De Marchi, Eugenio Miglioranza, Giuliana Lista, Ferdinando Daniele Vitelli, Francesca Simonetti, Gian Maria Busetto, Ugo Giovanni Falagario, Martina Maggi, Filippo Marino, Giannicola Genovese, Roberto Falabella, Angelo Porreca

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: This review aims to analyze the existing literature on local recurrence (LR) in patients undergoing partial nephrectomy (PN) for renal cell carcinoma, identifying relative risk factors, and exploring optimal clinical management strategies.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across bibliographic databases, primarily focusing on LR rates. Secondary outcomes included evaluation of positive surgical margins (PSM), nephrometry scores, pathological stage (T and grading), perioperative outcomes, time-to-LR, overall survival, and cancer-specific survival.

Results: Due to the heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis was performed. LR rates after PN varied in the literature; with PSM emerging as a significant risk factor. Other LR …

Obesity Is Associated With Improved Progression-Free Survival In Microsatellite-Instability-High Endometrial Cancer Treated With Pembrolizumab, Laurence Bernard, Jeffrey A How, Shrina Patel, Melinda S Yates, Amir Jazaeri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: To determine the clinical predictors of response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) to pembrolizumab in advanced or recurrent, mismatch repair deficient (MMRd) or Microsatellite Instability-High (MSI-H) endometrial adenocarcinomas.

Methods: A retrospective, single institution study was conducted among women with recurrent or advanced MMRd or MSI-H endometrial adenocarcinomas treated with single-agent pembrolizumab at our institution from 2017 to 2021. Logistic regression was used for univariable and multivariable analyses. PFS and OS were estimated using the methods of Kaplan and Meier and modeled via Cox proportional hazards regression. Log-rank test was used for intergroup comparisons based on body …

Differences In Connected Speech Outcomes Across Elicitation Methods, Tatiana T Schnur, Sharon Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Connected speech is often used to assess many aspects of an individual's language abilities after stroke. However, it is unknown the degree to which elicitation methods differ in generating structural and syntactic aspects of connected speech, two critical components of successful communication. Quantifying the degree to which elicitation methods differ in eliciting structurally, syntactically, and lexically complex connected speech at the earliest stage of stroke before reorganization and rehabilitation of function independent of clinical diagnosis of aphasia has not been examined to date. Addressing this gap has implications for early clinical intervention as well as empirical studies of connected …

Monet: A Database For Prediction Of Neoantigens Derived From Microsatellite Loci, Nan Deng, Krishna M Sinha, Eduardo Vilar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Microsatellite instability (MSI) secondary to mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency is characterized by insertions and deletions (indels) in short DNA sequences across the genome. These indels can generate neoantigens, which are ideal targets for precision immune interception. However, current neoantigen databases lack information on neoantigens arising from coding microsatellites. To address this gap, we introduce The MicrOsatellite Neoantigen Discovery Tool (MONET).

METHOD: MONET identifies potential mutated tumor-specific neoantigens (neoAgs) by predicting frameshift mutations in coding microsatellite sequences of the human genome. Then MONET annotates these neoAgs with key features such as binding affinity, stability, expression, frequency, and potential pathogenicity using …

Postmortem-Derived Ipsc Models In Substance Use Disorders Research, Emily Frances Mendez, Consuelo Walss-Bass

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Are Published Cancer Care Trial Protocols With Traditional Chinese Medicine Interventions Concordant With Spirit-Tcm Extension 2018? A Scoping Review On Published Trial Protocols Between 2019 And 2022, Hezheng Lai, Peiying Yang, Xin Shelley Wang, David Lim, Anderson Lam, Yucong Shi, Yishi Huang, Xiaoshu Zhu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The SPIRIT-TCM Extension 2018 was created to guide the design and reporting of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinical trial protocols. This study aims to investigate the extent of concordance with this guideline in the relevant field of cancer care research.

METHODS: A scoping review of TCM cancer trial protocols published in English and Chinese since January 2019 was conducted. Five major academic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) were searched. Concordance with the SPIRIT-TCM Extension 2018 was assessed by descriptive analysis.

RESULTS: Fifty-three TCM cancer care trial protocols were identified, comprising 23 acupuncture, 26 Chinese …

A Blood-Based Metabolite Signature For Personalized Risk Assessment Of Pancreatic Cancer, Ricardo A León-Letelier, Yihui Chen, Riccardo Ballaro, Ehsan Irajizad, Kim-An Do, Anirban Maitra, Jianjun Zhang, C Max Schmidt, Johannes F Fahrmann

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Circulating Tumor Dna (Ctdna) As A Biomarker Of Response To Therapy In Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated With Nivolumab, Yehia I Mohamed, Sunyoung S Lee, Tarik Demir, Shadi Chamseddine, Zishuo Ian Hu, Lianchun Xiao, Khaled Elsayes, Jeffrey S Morris, Robert A Wolff, Rikita Hiatia, Aliya Qayyum, Asif Rashid, Dan G Duda, James C Yao, Michael Lapelusa, Eugene J Koay, Armeen Mahvash, Ahmed Al Azzam, Ecaterina E Dumbrava, Manal Hassan, Hesham M Amin, Ahmed Omar Kaseb

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a promising non-invasive marker for detection, diagnosis, treatment selection, and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Objective: This study aimed to examine the utility of ctDNA as a prognostic and predictive tool in HCC patients treated with nivolumab.

Methods: We analyzed pre-treatment ctDNA from 44 HCC patients using comprehensive genomic testing on a commercially available platform. We utilized log rank test and univariate Cox models to correlate overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) with ctDNA expressions.

Results: Of 44 patients, 77.3% were men with median age of 67 years. All but 3 patients had …

Systemic Treatment Of Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer: Asco Resource-Stratified Guideline, Sana Al Sukhun, Sarah Temin, Carlos H Barrios, Nicoleta Zenovia Antone, Yanin Chavarri Guerra, Mariana Chavez-Macgregor, Rakesh Chopra, Michael A Danso, Henry Leonidas Gomez, N'Da Marcelin Homian, Alaa Kandil, Benda Kithaka, Bogda Koczwara, Beverly Moy, Gertrude Nakigudde, Fernando Enrique Petracci, Hope S Rugo, Nagi S El Saghir, Banu K Arun

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To guide clinicians and policymakers in three global resource-constrained settings on treating patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) when Maximal setting-guideline recommended treatment is unavailable.

Methods: A multidisciplinary, multinational panel reviewed existing ASCO guidelines and conducted modified ADAPTE and formal consensus processes.

Results: Four published resource-agnostic guidelines were adapted for resource-constrained settings; informing two rounds of formal consensus; recommendations received ≥75% agreement.

Recommendations: Clinicians should recommend treatment according to menopausal status, pathological and biomarker features when quality results are available. In first-line, for hormone receptor (HR)-positive MBC, when a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor and CDK 4/6 inhibitor combination is unavailable, …

Fgf5, Evelyn A Carrion, Malcolm M Moses, Richard R Behringer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

FGF5 functions as a negative regulator of the hair cycle in mammals. It is expressed in the outer root sheath of hair follicles during the late anagen phase of the hair cycle. It functions as a signaling molecule, mediating the transition of the anagen growth phase to catagen regression phase of the hair cycle. Spontaneous and engineered FGF5 mutations in mammalian animal models result in long hair phenotypes. In humans, inherited FGF5 mutations result in trichomegaly (long eyelashes). Knockdown of fgf5 in zebrafish embryos results in inner ear alterations. Alterations in FGF5 expression are also associated with various human pathologies.

Mri-Guided High-Dose-Rate Gynecologic Brachytherapy Using An Mr-Linac As An Mr Simulator: A Single Institutional Experience, Whitney Massock, Yusung Kim, M Alex Dresner, Wenqing Sun, Joseph Caster, Quentin Adams, Jill Jespersen, Joel St-Aubin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: The goal of this study was to commission the use of a magnetic resonance linear accelerator (MR-linac; Unity) for imaging of gynecologic high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy. This included optimizing imaging protocols and workflow development.

Methods and materials: T1-weighted and T2-weighted HDR imaging protocols were optimized on the Unity for HDR gynecologic imaging and treatment planning. Phantom measurements using these protocols were performed to determine geometric distortion and to assess reconstruction accuracy of the applicator compared with the ground truth computed tomography image. A treatment plan was created within the treatment planning system that was then delivered to a phantom. New …

Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy For Gynecologic Malignancies: A Case-Based Radiosurgery Society Practice Review, Colton Ladbury, Mark H Sueyoshi, Nellie M Brovold, Ritesh Kumar, Therese Y Andraos, Emile Gogineni, Minsun Kim, Ann Klopp, Kevin Albuquerque, Charles Kunos, Eric Leung, Constantine Mantz, Tithi Biswas, Sushil Beriwal, William Small, Beth Erickson, David Gaffney, Simon S Lo, Akila N Viswanathan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: The use of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for gynecologic malignancies is controversial. We discuss certain circumstances when highly precise SBRT may be a useful tool to consider in the management of selected patients.

Methods and materials: Case selection included the following scenarios, the first 2 with palliative intent, para-aortic nodal oligorecurrence of ovarian cancer, pelvic sidewall oligorecurrence of cervical cancer, and inoperable endometrial cancer boost after intensity modulated radiation to the pelvis treated with curative intent. Patient characteristics, fractionation, prescription dose, treatment technique, and dose constraints were discussed. Relevant literature to these cases was summarized to provide a …

Innovations In Molecular Biomarkers And Biomaterial-Based Immunotherapies For Head & Neck Cancer, Sarah Anne Wong, Victoria A Manon, Simon Young, Chi T Viet

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose of review: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) survival rates have remained stagnant due to a lack of targeted therapies and diagnostic tools. Patient risk is currently determined solely through clinicopathologic features, primarily tumor staging, which lacks the necessary precision to stratify patients by risk and accurately dictate adjuvant treatment. Similarly, conventional OSCC therapies have well-established toxicities and limited efficacy.

Recent findings: Recent studies show that patient risk can now be assessed using non-invasive techniques, at earlier time points, and with greater accuracy using molecular biomarker panels. Additionally, novel immunotherapies not only utilize the host's immune response to combat disease …

Accelerate Vaccine Development Using Seamless Phase 2/3 Trial Designs, Jia-Ying Yang, Guo-Chun Li, Ying Yuan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Traditional vaccine development, often a lengthy and costly process of three separated phases. However, the swift development of COVID-19 vaccines highlighted the critical importance of accelerating the approval of vaccines. This article showcases a seamless phase 2/3 trial design to expedite the development process, particularly for multi-valent vaccines.

Research design and methods: This study utilizes simulation to compare the performance of seamless phase 2/3 design with that of conventional trial design, specifically by re-envisioning a 9-valent HPV vaccine trial. Across three cases, several key performance metrics are evaluated: overall power, type I error rate, average sample size, trial duration, …

Mt-Keyboard: A Bayesian Model-Assisted Interval Design To Account For Toxicity Grades And Types For Phase I Trials, Kai Chen, Li Wang, Ying Yuan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Conventionally, dose finding trials are based on dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) that only captures the most severe toxicities, e.g., treatment related grade 3 or higher toxicity according to the NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. However, this approach is often problematic for certain novel targeted therapies and immunotherapies, which may not induce DLT within a clinically active dose range and are often characterized by low grade toxicities. This important issue has been highlighted and discussed in the American Statistical Association (ASA) Biopharmaceutical (BIOP) Section Open Forums, and is also an important consideration of the Project Optimus initiated by FDA to …

Neuromuscular Polytrauma Pain Is Resolved By Macrophage Cox-2 Nanoimmunomodulation, Ibdanelo Cortez, Caitlyn M Gaffney, Riddhi Vichare, Caitlin V Crelli, Lu Liu, Eric Lee, Jules Edralin, James M Nichols, Hoang Vu Pham, Syed Mehdi, Jelena M Janjic, Andrew J Shepherd

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Soft tissue injuries often involve muscle and peripheral nerves and are qualitatively distinct from single-tissue injuries. Prior research suggests that damaged innervation compromises wound healing. To test this in a traumatic injury context, we developed a novel mouse model of nerve and lower limb polytrauma, which features greater pain hypersensitivity and more sustained macrophage infiltration than either injury in isolation. We also show that macrophages are crucial mediators of pain hypersensitivity in this model by delivering macrophage-targeted nanoemulsions laden with the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor celecoxib. This treatment was more effective in males than females, and more effective when delivered 3 …

Approaches To Estimate Bidirectional Causal Effects Using Mendelian Randomization With Application To Body Mass Index And Fasting Glucose, Jinhao Zou, Rajesh Talluri, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mendelian randomization (MR) is an epidemiological framework using genetic variants as instrumental variables (IVs) to examine the causal effect of exposures on outcomes. Statistical methods based on unidirectional MR (UMR) are widely used to estimate the causal effects of exposures on outcomes in observational studies. To estimate the bidirectional causal effects between two phenotypes, investigators have naively applied UMR methods separately in each direction. However, bidirectional causal effects between two phenotypes create a feedback loop that biases the estimation when UMR methods are naively applied. To overcome this limitation, we proposed two novel approaches to estimate bidirectional causal effects using …

Hpv Vaccination In Africa In The Covid-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Healthcare Providers' Knowledge, Training, And Recommendation Practices, Joel Fokom Domgue, Issimouha Dille, Sharon Kapambwe, Robert Yu, Freddy Gnangnon, Lameck Chinula, Gad Murenzi, Nomonde Mbatani, Mala Pande, Fatoumata Sidibe, Joseph Kamgno, Bangaly Traore, Hicham El Fazazi, Mamadou Diop, Pierre-Marie Tebeu, Mohenou Isidore Diomande, Fabrice Lecuru, Isaac Adewole, Marie Plante, Partha Basu, Jean-Marie Dangou, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Although the burden of cervical cancer in Africa is highest, HPV vaccination coverage remains alarmingly low in this region. Providers' knowledge and recommendation are key drivers of HPV vaccination uptake. Yet, evidence about providers' knowledge and recommendation practices about the HPV vaccine against a backdrop of emerging vaccine hesitancy fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic is lacking in Africa.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021-2022 among healthcare providers involved in cervical cancer prevention activities in Africa. They were invited to report prior training, the availability of the HPV vaccine in their practice, whether they recommended the HPV vaccine, …

Awareness And Interest In Cannabis Use For Cancer Management Among Cancer Survivors, Ikponmwosa Osaghae, Rajesh Talluri, Onyema Greg Chido-Amajuoyi, Kimberson Tanco, Dimpy P Shah, Mala Pande, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: We examined the awareness, interest, and information sources relating to cannabis use for cancer management (including management of cancer symptoms and treatment-related side effects) and determined factors associated with cancer survivors' awareness and interest in learning about cannabis use for cancer management.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of adult cancer survivors (N = 1886) receiving treatment at a comprehensive cancer center. Weighted prevalence and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS: Among cancer survivors, 88% were aware and 60% were interested in learning about cannabis use for cancer management. Common sources of information to learn about cannabis use …

Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Exposure In Homes And Vehicles In Youth: Disparities Among Racial, And Sexual And Gender Minorities, Rajesh Talluri, Sahil S Shete, Surendra S Shastri, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) among youth is a serious public health concern, leading to an increased risk of conditions such as asthma and respiratory infections. However, there is little research on SHSe among vulnerable populations, such as racial and sexual minorities. Understanding the factors associated with youth SHSe in homes and vehicles is crucial to developing better protective policies.

METHODS: This study utilized 2020 data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, a representative sample of middle- and high-school students in the US. The primary outcomes were youth SHSe at home and while riding in a vehicle. Multinomial regression models …

Immune-Related Adverse Event In The Emergency Department: Methodology Of The Immune-Related Emergency Disposition Index (Iredi), Cielito C Reyes-Gibby, Jeffrey M Caterino, Christopher J Coyne, Demetrios N Kyriacou, Aiham Qdaisat, Jennifer Mcquade, Dwight H Owen, Jason J Bischof, Sanjay Shete, Sai-Ching Jim Yeung

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

For many cancer patients, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can be life-saving. However, the immune-related adverse events (irAEs) from ICIs can be debilitating and can quickly become severe or even be fatal. Often, irAEs will precipitate visits to the emergency department (ED). Therefore, early recognition and the decision to admit, observe, or discharge these patients from the ED can be key to a cancer patient's morbidity and mortality. ED clinicians typically make their decision for disposition (admit, observe, or discharge) within 2-6 h from their patient's ED presentation. However, irAEs are particularly challenging in the ED because of atypical presentations, the …

Sdha Secondary Findings In Germline Testing: Counseling And Surveillance Considerations, Catherine M Skefos, Pamela L Brock, Erica Blouch, Samantha E Greenberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This commentary explores the complexities faced by clinicians when encountering a secondary SDHA pathogenic variant (PV) in patients without a personal or family history of SDHA-related tumors. The increasing use of germline multi-gene panel testing has led to a rise in such secondary findings, necessitating a nuanced approach to counseling, surveillance, and decision-making. We aim to discuss the current data surrounding the penetrance of SDHA PVs, the spectrum of screening guidelines, recommendations for educating individuals and families about their secondary findings, and the need for future research to optimize care for these individuals. Practical recommendations for clinicians dealing with …

Predicting Suicidality In Late-Life Depression By 3d Convolutional Neural Network And Cross-Sample Entropy Analysis Of Resting-State Fmri, Chemin Lin, Chih-Mao Huang, Wei Chang, You-Xun Chang, Ho-Ling Liu, Shu-Hang Ng, Huang-Li Lin, Tatia Mei-Chun Lee, Shwu-Hua Lee, Shun-Chi Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Predicting suicide is a pressing issue among older adults; however, predicting its risk is difficult. Capitalizing on the recent development of machine learning, considerable progress has been made in predicting complex behavior such as suicide. As depression remained the strongest risk for suicide, we aimed to apply deep learning algorithms to identify suicidality in a group with late-life depression (LLD).

METHODS: We enrolled 83 patients with LLD, 35 of which were non-suicidal and 48 were suicidal, including 26 with only suicidal ideation and 22 with past suicide attempts, for resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cross-sample entropy (CSE) analysis …

Jointtracker: Real-Time Inertial Kinematic Chain Tracking With Joint Position Estimation, Bertram Taetz, Michael Lorenz, Markus Miezal, Didier Stricker, Gabriele Bleser-Taetz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In-field human motion capture (HMC) is drawing increasing attention due to the multitude of application areas. Plenty of research is currently invested in camera-based (markerless) HMC, with the advantage of no infrastructure being required on the body, and additional context information being available from the surroundings. However, the inherent drawbacks of camera-based approaches are the limited field of view and occlusions. In contrast, inertial HMC (IHMC) does not suffer from occlusions, thus being a promising approach for capturing human motion outside the laboratory. However, one major challenge of such methods is the necessity of spatial registration. Typically, during a predefined …

Insights Into The Assembly And Regulation Of The Bacterial Divisome, Todd A Cameron, William Margolin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The ability to split one cell into two is fundamental to all life, and many bacteria can accomplish this feat several times per hour with high accuracy. Most bacteria call on an ancient homologue of tubulin, called FtsZ, to localize and organize the cell division machinery, the divisome, into a ring-like structure at the cell midpoint. The divisome includes numerous other proteins, often including an actin homologue (FtsA), that interact with each other at the cytoplasmic membrane. Once assembled, the protein complexes that comprise the dynamic divisome coordinate membrane constriction with synthesis of a division septum, but only after overcoming …