The Student Benefits of a STEMM Scholarship Program

According to a recent report by the Center on Education and the Workforce, eight million new jobs will be available in STEMM-related fields by 2018 (https://ohiohighered.org/cof). The distinguished Choose Ohio First Scholarship has been granted to a select group of technology majors at Franklin University since 2012, many of whom have gone on to gain employment in technology-related fields, while remaining in the state of Ohio. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to measure the Choose Ohio First Scholars\u27 academic persistence, graduation, and employment compared to the other students, who were declared Computer Science and Management Information Sciences majors, at Franklin University. Initial statistical analysis indicated that there was a positive correlation between the Choose Ohio First Scholars\u27 academic persistence, graduation, and employment. Choose Ohio First Scholars were more likely to graduate from Franklin University than the general student body enrolled in Computer Science and Management Information Sciences majors. Students who receive additional academic support and financial support from their institution might be more likely to graduate and gain employment in their fields of study than students who do not receive additional support.https://fuse.franklin.edu/ss2016/1033/thumbnail.jp

Monitoring Level Fluctuations of the Lakes in the Yangtze River Basin from Radar Altimetry

Water level variations in four natural lakes, Poyang, Dongting, Tai, and Chao, within the Yangtze River basin are studied using ENVISAT GDRs. The GDRs were edited using simple editing criteria and appropriate geophysical corrections applied. Altimeter-derived lake level variation time series were then generated and analyzed. The results of this study, which is the first of its kind in using data from ENVISAT missions over the Yangtze River basin in China, reveal that the water level changes in these four lakes directly reflect the water level of the Yangtze River and contribute to the floods and their associated disasters that usually occur in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River

Macrophages induce gingival destruction via Piezo1-mediated MMPs-degrading collagens in periodontitis

Macrophages are an integral part of the innate immune response in periodontal tissue and play a crucial role in the progression of periodontitis. Here we reported that macrophages also provoke periodontitis-induced gingival destruction through Piezol-mediated collagen degradation. We discovered that the PIEZO1 expression was markedly elevated in patients with periodontitis through transcriptomic profiling. Moreover, Piezo1 promoted macrophage polarization toward the M1 type in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and induced production of proinflammatory cytokines, which in turn stimulated production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) leading to collagen degradation. Our study suggests that Piezol might be a potential therapeutic target for treating periodontitis-induced gingival destruction

Two Transcripts of FBXO5 Promote Migration and Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Periodontal Ligament Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Objectives. Enhanced migration and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are beneficial for MSC-mediated periodontal tissue regeneration, a promising method for periodontitis treatment. FBXO5, a member of the F-box protein family, is involved in the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. Here, we investigated the effect of FBXO5 on human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs). Materials and Methods. hPDLSCs were isolated from periodontal ligament tissue. Lentivirus FBXO5 shRNA was used to silence FBXO5 expression. Two transcripts of FBXO5 were overexpressed and transduced into hPDLSCs via retroviral infection. Migration and osteogenic differentiation of hPDLSCs were evaluated using the scratch migration assay, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, ALP staining, alizarin red staining, western blotting, and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results. The expression of FBXO5 was upregulated after osteogenic induction in hPDLSCs. FBXO5 knockdown attenuated migration, inhibited ALP activity and mineralization, and decreased RUNX2, OSX, and OCN expression, while the overexpression of two transcript isoforms significantly accelerated migration, enhanced ALP activity and mineralization, and increased RUNX2, OSX, and OCN expression in hPDLSCs. Conclusions. Both isoforms of FBXO5 promoted the migration and osteogenic differentiation potential of hPDLSCs, which identified a potential target for improving periodontal tissue regeneration

Neuroimaging biomarkers define neurophysiological subtypes with distinct trajectories in schizophrenia

Technical developments and improved access to neuroimaging techniques have brought us closer to understanding the neuropathological origins of schizophrenia. Using data-driven disease-progression modelling on cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from 1,124 patients with schizophrenia, we characterize two distinct but stable ‘trajectories’ of brain atrophy, separately beginning in the Broca’s area (subtype1) and the hippocampus (subtype2). The two trajectories are replicated in cross-validation samples. Individuals within each subtype are further classified into two stages (‘pre-atrophy’ and ‘post-atrophy’). These subtypes show different atrophy patterns and symptom profiles. Longitudinal data from 523 patients with schizophrenia treated by antipsychotics only or adjunct transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) reveal that antipsychotics-only effects relate to phenotypic subtype (more effective in the subtype1) while adjunct transcranial-magnetic-stimulation effects relate to the stage (superior outcomes in the pre-atrophy stage). These findings suggest distinct pathophysiological processes underlying schizophrenia that potentially yield to stratification and prognostication—a key requirement for personalizing treatments in enduring illnesses