Alien Registration- Macdonnell, Katherine (Seal Harbor, Hancock County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/19849/thumbnail.jp

Monitoring Individual Cells within Cell Cultures using Image Processing and Pattern Recognition Techniques

Cells are the building blocks of the human body which are normally specialised by type in accordance with their function. Human cells interact with each other to form the tissues that make up the body. Consequently, it is important to study the behaviour and interactions of these cells at the microscale level, so that the causes of cellular irregularities can be identified; and, possible treatments can be devised. This project aimed to create algorithms that were capable of tracking a variety of cells types within both single cultures and mixed cultures, and from this generate data that was relevant to current clinical trials. There have been successes in tracking some cells types, most notably articular chondrocytes and spinal disk cells. In terms of data generated there has been successes in a whole variety of different types of clinical trials. The algorithms used here have been able to identify the point of mitosis. They have created a better method of determining neural growth and from this have shown that neurons co-cultured with MCSs can grow in places with neural inhibitors. Through the use of algorithms that can analyse culture in three dimensional structures it has been shown that neurons are more affected by topographical cues than chemical cues in their direction of growth. It has also been shown that vesicles are more likely to appear on smaller back disk cells. In the study of gels, it has been found that the more transparent gels are better for imaging. Finally, it has been shown that MSCs and chondrocytes behave differently when in single and co-cultures. These discoveries would not have been possible without the use of the algorithms that allowed for the study of individual cells within a larger culture

Mismatch Repair Deficient Tumors Lacking Known Sporadic Causes: Are They All Due to Lynch Syndrome?

BACKGROUND: Mismatch repair deficient (MMRD) colorectal (CRC) or endometrial (EC) cancers in the absence of MLH1 promoter hypermethylation and BRAF mutations are suggestive of Lynch syndrome (LS). Positive germline genetic test results confirm LS. It is unclear if individuals with MMRD tumors but no identified germline mutation or sporadic cause (MMRD+/germline-) have LS. HYPOTHESIS: Since LS is hereditary, individuals with LS should have a stronger family history of LS-related cancers than individuals with sporadic tumors. We hypothesized that MMRD+/germline- CRC and/or EC patients would have less suggestive family histories than LS CRC and/or EC patients. METHODS: 253 individuals with an MMRD CRC or EC who underwent genetic counseling at one institution were included in analysis in 1 of 4 groups: LS, MMRD+/germline-, MMRD+/VUS, sporadic MSI-H (MMRD tumor with MLH1 promoter hypermethylation or BRAF mutation). Family histories were analyzed utilizing MMRpro and PREMM1,2,6. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare family history scores. Logistic regression was used to determine what factors were predictive of LS. RESULTS: MMRD+/germline- individuals had significantly lower median family history scores (PREMM1,2,6=7.3, MMRpro=8.1) than LS individuals (PREMM1,2,6=26.1, MMRpro=89.8, p CONCLUSION: MMRD+/germline- individuals have less suggestive family histories of LS than individuals with LS, but more suggestive family histories than sporadic MSI-H individuals. CRC and/or EC patients with abnormal tumor studies are more likely to have a germline LS mutation if they have a family history suggestive of hereditary cancer. These results imply that the MMRD+/germline- group may not all have LS. This finding highlights the need to determine other somatic, epigenetic or germline causes of MMRD tumors so that these patients and their families can be accurately counseled regarding screening and management

When Electrochemistry Met Methane: Rapid Catalyst Oxidation Fuels Hydrocarbon Functionalization

An electrochemical strategy for rapid generation of the highly reactive species necessary for C−H bond functionalization may enable improved technology for methane conversion

The role of tenacious versus flexible goal pursuit in the vulnerability to bipolar disorder

The vulnerability to bipolar disorder is characterized by dysregulated goal-related behavior, the setting of ambitious and extreme goals, and increases in goal approach behaviors. To date, no studies have investigated the nature of goal pursuit behaviors amongst individuals at a behavioral risk for bipolar disorder in terms of whether goal pursuit is characterized by a tenacious active striving for goals or a more flexible changeable focus on goals. A non-clinical sample of 168 participants completed online measures of mood, bipolar-vulnerability, reward sensitivity, goal-related perfectionist tendencies, tenacious goal pursuit and flexible goal adjustment behaviors. Our findings demonstrate that bipolar-vulnerability is characterized by the tenacious, not flexible, pursuit of goals, in combination with low regulation of goal behavior, and tendencies towards narcissistic and self-critical perfectionism indicative of setting high ambitious standards and making overly harsh self-judgments when such standards are not met. These findings are similar to those from clinical bipolar samples where there is evidence of prolonged symptom recoveries after the experience of goal frustrations and failures. Reducing the tenacious, active striving for goals amongst at-risk individuals may be a potential avenue for early intervention

Engagement with consumer smartwatches for tracking symptoms of individuals living with multiple long-term conditions (multimorbidity)::A longitudinal observational study

INTRODUCTION: People living with multiple long-term conditions (multimorbidity) (MLTC-M) experience an accumulating combination of different symptoms. It has been suggested that these symptoms can be tracked longitudinally using consumer technology, such as smartphones and wearable devices. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinal user engagement with a smartwatch application, collecting survey questions and active tasks over 90 days, in people living with MLTC-M. METHODS: ‘Watch Your Steps’ was a prospective observational study, administering multiple questions and active tasks over 90 days. Adults with more than one clinician-diagnosed long-term conditions were loaned Fossil® Sport smartwatches, pre-loaded with the study app. Around 20 questions were prompted per day. Daily completion rates were calculated to describe engagement patterns over time, and to explore how these varied by patient characteristics and question type. RESULTS: Fifty three people with MLTC-M took part in the study. Around half were male ( = 26; 49%) and the majority had a white ethnic background (n = 45; 85%). About a third of participants engaged with the smartwatch app nearly every day. The overall completion rate of symptom questions was 45% inter-quartile range (IQR 23–67%) across all study participants. Older patients and those with greater MLTC-M were more engaged, although engagement was not significantly different between genders. CONCLUSION: It was feasible for people living with MLTC-M to report multiple symptoms per day over 3 months. User engagement appeared as good as other mobile health studies that recruited people with single health conditions, despite the higher daily data entry burden

Conversion of lanthanide glutarate chlorides with interstitial THF into lanthanide glutarates with unprecedented topologies

Using slow diffusion methods at room temperature (RT), we obtained four isomorphous lanthanide glutarate chlorides, accommodating interstitial THF and water molecules, [Ln2(Glut)2Cl2(H2O)8]•2H2O•THF (1 - 4), with Ln = La (1), Ce (2), Pr (3), Nd (4). They assemble as 3-dimensional (3D) lanthanide (Ln) coordination polymers with LnO10 coordination polyhedra. Their topology was elucidated to be a 4-coordinated sql net. 1 – 4 slowly dissolve in water liberating the entrapped THF molecules and reassemble as regular Ln-glutarate hydrates when the solution is deprived of THF and water by slow evaporation. The new products crystallize as [Ln2(Glut)3(H2O)3]•5H2O (5 - 7), with Ln = La (5), Ce (6), Pr (7), and [Nd2(Glut)3(H2O)2]•3.5H2O (8). 5 – 7 are isomorphous and crystallize as 3D-networks with two crystallographically independent LnO10 and LnO9 coordination spheres that assemble into Ln2O18 and Ln2O16 polyhedra via edge sharing. Their topology has not previously been observed and was found to be a 3,4,4,5,6-coordinated 3,4,4,5,6T61 net. The known compound 8 crystallizes also as a 3D-network and is isomorphous to other previously described lanthanide glutarate hydrates. 8 has a 3,4,5-coordinated 3,4,5T202 net topology, which has not been determined before