Moderate-severe, chronic aphasia: An exploration of the changes in social roles

This study explored the changes in social roles following a stroke from the perspective of three people living with moderate-severe, chronic aphasia. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with two family members/friends of the people with aphasia. Next, the researchers transcribed the interviews and analyzed them for emergent themes. The researchers used these themes to develop questions and conduct semi-structured interviews with the participants with aphasia—using augmented communication strategies as necessary—to validate, or negate the findings. Although results confirm that a change in social roles is present, some discrepancies exist between family/friends and the people with aphasia

Integrated genomic characterization of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

We performed integrated genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic profiling of 150 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) specimens, including samples with characteristic low neoplastic cellularity. Deep whole-exome sequencing revealed recurrent somatic mutations in KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, SMAD4, RNF43, ARID1A, TGFβR2, GNAS, RREB1, and PBRM1. KRAS wild-type tumors harbored alterations in other oncogenic drivers, including GNAS, BRAF, CTNNB1, and additional RAS pathway genes. A subset of tumors harbored multiple KRAS mutations, with some showing evidence of biallelic mutations. Protein profiling identified a favorable prognosis subset with low epithelial-mesenchymal transition and high MTOR pathway scores. Associations of non-coding RNAs with tumor-specific mRNA subtypes were also identified. Our integrated multi-platform analysis reveals a complex molecular landscape of PDAC and provides a roadmap for precision medicine

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Visual attention patterns for contextually rich images: Neurotypical adults in two age groups and adults with aphasia

Contextually rich images are an increasingly popular method of message representation for people with aphasia who rely on AAC. These images contain background content and human figures and are designed to represent messages in a holistic manner. Because of the holistic nature of contextually rich images, users must identify meaningful regions within these images to understand their meaning. Researchers recommend that human figures be engaged in context of images to assist with understanding the image meaning. Understanding how people visually attend to contextually rich images and how they respond to engagement cues can provide clinicians with an understanding of which types of images are most beneficial for their clients. This dissertation consisted of two studies each designed to examine visual attention patterns across contextually rich images. Study one compared the visual attention patterns of younger and older neurotypical adults across person-engaged and person-disengaged images. Study two compared the visual attention patterns of people with aphasia and their neurotypical controls across person-engaged and person-disengaged images. The researcher measured visual attention in percent of time fixated across areas of interest and domain relative score across areas of interest. The researcher uncovered no significant differences between younger and older neurotypical adults for visual attention patterns across person-engaged and person-disengaged contextually rich images. Both age groups exhibited a similar response to engagement in contextually rich images as they both increased their visual attention on the object of engagement of interest when viewing person-engaged images. Both adults with aphasia and their neurotypical controls visually attended to contextually rich images in a similar manner; however, significant differences were found in their response to engagement cues for domain relative score. Adults with aphasia and their neurotypical controls both demonstrated increased domain relative scores on objects of engagement when viewing person-engaged images as compared to person-disengaged images; however, people with aphasia exhibited significantly lower domain relative scores on objects of engagement than did their neurotypical controls when viewing person-engaged images

Association Between Preoperative Statin Use and&nbsp;Acute Kidney Injury Biomarkers in Cardiac Surgical Procedures

BackgroundAcute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious complication of cardiac operations for which there remains no specific therapy. Animal data and several observational studies suggest that statins prevent AKI, but the results are not conclusive, and many studies are retrospective in nature.MethodsWe conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study of 625 adult patients undergoing elective cardiac operations. All patients were taking statins and&nbsp;were grouped according to whether statins were continued or held in the 24 hours before operation. The primary outcome was AKI as defined by a doubling of serum creatinine or dialysis. The secondary outcome was the peak level of several kidney injury biomarkers. The results were adjusted for demographic and clinical factors.ResultsContinuing (vs holding) a statin before operation was not associated with a lower risk of AKI, as&nbsp;defined by a doubling of serum creatinine or dialysis&nbsp;(adjusted relative risk [RR] 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.44, 2.70). However, continuing a statin was&nbsp;associated with a lower risk of elevation of the following AKI&nbsp;biomarkers: urine interleukin-18, urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, urine kidney injury molecule-1, and plasma neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (adjusted RR 0.34; 95% CI 0.18, 0.62), (adjusted RR 0.41; 95% CI 0.22, 0.76), (adjusted RR 0.37; 95% CI 0.20, 0.76), (adjusted RR 0.62; 95% CI 0.39, 0.98), respectively.ConclusionsStatins may prevent kidney injury after cardiac operations, as evidenced by lower levels of kidney injury biomarkers

Miniature Low-Cost Desktop Learning Modules for Multi-Disciplinary Engineering Process Applications

To transform the STEM learning environment and make it more effective, exciting andexperimental, hands on learning needs to be implemented in the classroom. This is the long termgoal in a set of NSF projects, one a new IUSE project and a continuing TUES/CCLI enhancedthrough a USAID/NSF PEER and TUES supplement. The objectives are to build anddisseminate light weight, low-cost Desktop Learning Modules (DLMs), with interchangeablefluid mechanics, heat transfer and biomass conversion cartridges. Studying the impact of theseDLMs is crucial to the success of this research to determine educational effectiveness. TheTUES laid a foundation resulting in a marketed technology while the IUSE seeks to extend thetechnology to an ultra-low-cost format through design for manufacture with 3D printing andvacuforming. Assessment strategies are being refined, from pre-/posttest written explanationsand a more subjective grading rubric, to a clicker-based short answer assessment. The DLMs arebeing implemented at universities, community colleges and high schools.DLM cartridge options are being expanded to include biofuels options. However, gasification ishighly exothermic resulting in high temperatures that can create high pressure if gases areconfined in small spaces. Therefore the biogasifier DLM design requires special considerationsand safety specifications so class demonstrations do not pose risks for students and instructors.Considerations include gasifier placement into a polycarbonate shielded container for easyvisualization, reducing reactor size to mm-diameter quartz tubes to limit total thermal energy,directed thermal heating through electrical resistance wires, and providing unique conversionmeasurement means such as a small syringe cylinder unit that expands to read volumes ofreaction gases while holding pressures at near atmospheric levels. Syngas cleanup will beaccomplished by passing products through a fiberglass filter to reduce tar, bubbling through oliveoil to remove remaining tar and cool the gas stream, absorption of acidic CO2 and H2S gases inmono-ethanol amine, and collecting final product gas in the syringe. Gas production fromspecified products will be pre-determined through GC analysis and relating conversion to finalgas volumes, after knowing reaction conditions, and nature of side-product removal processes.To make such systems relevant to educating students about gasifier design in resource limitedenvironments the team is working with a Nigerian university and Nigerian national researchinstitute. This enhances the education of US students by providing experiences with atransnational collaborative team