A protocol for co-creating research project lay summaries with stakeholders:Guideline development for Canada's AGE-WELL Network

Background: Funding bodies increasingly require researchers to write lay summaries to communicate projects’ real-world relevance to the public in an accessible way. However, research proposals and findings are generally not easily readable or understandable by non-specialist readers. Many researchers find writing lay summaries difficult because they typically write for fellow subject specialists or academics rather than the general public or a non-specialist audience. The primary objective of our project is to develop guidelines for researchers in Canada’s AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence, and ultimately various other disciplines, sectors, and institutions, to co-create lay summaries of research projects with stakeholders. To begin, we produced a protocol for co-creating a lay summary based on workshops we organized and facilitated for an AGE-WELL researcher. This paper presents the lay summary co-creation protocol that AGE-WELL researchers will be invited to use.Methods: Eligible participants in this project will be 24 AgeTech project researchers who are funded by the AGE-WELL network in its Core Research Program 2020. If they agree to participate in this project, we will invite them to use our protocol to co-produce a lay summary of their respective projects with stakeholders. The protocol comprises six steps: Investigate principles of writing a good lay summary, identify the target readership, identify stakeholders to collaborate with, recruit the identified stakeholders to work on a lay summary, prepare for workshop sessions, and execute the sessions. To help participants through the process, we will provide them with a guide to developing an accessible, readable research lay summary, help them make decisions, and host, and facilitate if needed, their lay summary co-creation workshops.Discussion: Public-facing research outputs, including lay summaries, are increasingly important knowledge translation strategies to promote the impact of research on real-world issues. To produce lay summaries that include information that will interest a non-specialist readership and that are written in accessible language, stakeholder engagement is key. Furthermore, both researchers and stakeholders benefit by participating in the co-creation process. We hope the protocol helps researchers collaborate with stakeholders effectively to co-produce lay summaries that meet the needs of both the public and project funders

An exploration of relationships between perceptions of family system and spiritual well-being

https://place.asburyseminary.edu/ecommonsatsdissertations/1112/thumbnail.jp

The role of human awareness on the spatial patterns of the tick-borne disease human monocytic ehrlichiosis in Missouri.

Human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), a tick-borne disease that has recently surfaced in the United States, exists in regions where the tick vector population is established. This study utilizes methods that look beyond identifying high-risk regions, and investigates disparate awareness, self-perceived threat, and seriousness of HME to further enhance existing spatial modeling. The Health Belief Model provides a theoretical framework that encompasses the disease ecology aspect of medical geography to understand the relationship between people and their environment by surveying participants in study regions of Missouri. Results are suggestive that awareness differs between high/low incidence regions. Furthermore, education and income were found to be significant to overall awareness. The frequency of finding ticks, age, and overall concern and awareness were important factors in the decision to use preventative strategies against ticks. These results can be used to focus efforts by state health departments to increase awareness of this important disease

Poly(alkyl methacrylate) tooth coatings for dental care: evaluation of the demineralisation-protection benefit using a time-resolved in vitro method

An in vitro method for the time-resolved quantification of acid-mediated tooth demineralisation has been developed and evaluated against putative non-permanent protective formulations based on a series of poly(alkyl methacrylate)s. Using a thermostatted carousel, dentally relevant substrates consisting of hydroxyapatite discs or sections of bovine teeth have been exposed to aqueous citric acid under controlled conditions, before and after being treated with the polymeric coatings. The dissolution of phosphate was monitored by the determination of 31P by Inductively Coupled Plasma—Mass Spectrometry and by the spectrophotometric phosphovanadomolybdate method. Dose-response plots constructed for both groups of treated substrates have revealed that the coatings significantly reduce erosion rates but are less effective at inhibiting tooth demineralisation than the standard fluoride treatment. The approach has enabled an evaluation of the erosion-protection efficiency of each coating

Methane emission from U.S. coal mines in 1973, a survey : a supplement to IC 8558

This Bureau of Mines survey of methane emissions indicates that total daily emissions have declined from 227 MM ft3 in 1971 to 214.7 MM ft3 in 1973. The highest average daily emissions in million cubic feet per day observed in U.S. bituminous coal mines were, in decreasing order, Monongalia County, W. Va. , 40.7 ; Marion County, W. Va. , 23.1 ; Buchanan County, Va. , 22.1; Washington County, Pa., 12.4; Greene County, Pa., 11.7; McDowell County, W. Va. , 11.4; Cambria County, Pa., 9.8; Jefferson County, Ala. , 9.5; Wyoming County, W. Va., 6.0; Marshall County, W. Va., 4.8; and Indiana County, Pa., 4.8

Electronic structure measurements of twisted graphene and 2D magnetic systems

The field of two-dimensional (2D) materials has grown significantly in recent years, motivated by the continued discovery of emergent phenomena and exotic phases in fabricated 2D homo- and heterostructures. This is particularly evident in correlated 2D systems such as the magic-angle twisted graphenes and 2D magnets. Many of the phenomena observed in these correlated materials are intimately tied to their electronic structures. Due to their complexity, simplified electronic structure models have been developed, whose predictions require testing against experimental results. In this thesis, we use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) with micrometre spatial resolution (μARPES) to directly visualise the electronic structure of twisted graphenes and 2D magnets and study their interlayer interactions, comparing measurements to theoretical predictions through both qualitative and quantitative analysis of spectral features. Three twisted graphene systems are examined: twisted bilayer graphene (tBG), twisted monolayer-bilayer graphene (tMBG) and twisted double bilayer graphene (tDBG), allowing a systematic study of the electronic structure within these structures as a function of twist angle and number of layers. Results are compared to predictions from a hybrid k・p-tight-binding (HkpTB) model, beginning with a qualitative comparison through simulation of the photoemission spectra, before extending this to a quantitative comparison of measured band parameters including hybridisation gap sizes and Dirac points shifts from an applied gate voltage. Good agreement with the HkpTB model is found across all stacking geometries for twist angles above 2◦, however, characterisation of a flat band observed in 1.5◦ tDBG highlights the need to include lattice relaxation effects in theoretical models of small twist angle systems. Similarly, we study the model 2D magnetic system CrSBr using μARPES. By exfoliating flakes onto a fresh metal surface, low-temperature charging effects can be overcome, allowing ARPES measurements of bulk CrSBr in the antiferromagnetic phase. These are compared to measurements above the N´eel temperature, revealing the effect that magnetic order has on the electronic structure. This technique could be readily applied to other semiconducting van der Waals magnetic materials, allowing measurement of their electronic structure at low-temperatures. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of ARPES in studying complex 2D systems and how improvements in instrumentation and fabrication methods will allow for deeper comparison to theoretical predictions

Surface soil-dust contamination of Phalaris arundinacea grown on former lead mine sites:Implications for biomass use, phytoremediation and phytomanagement

This study evaluated the contribution of soil dust deposited on the surface of reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) grown on historic lead (Pb) mine sites to the overall contamination of the biomass, with implications for phytoremediation, valorization and utilization. By applying a novel combination of imaging of plant material using X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), with washing experiments and bulk analysis, the research aimed to distinguish between (a) Pb uptake through biological processes (phyto-extraction), and (b) surficial dust and physical entrapment of Pb-rich dust on plants cultivated in contaminated soils (surface-contamination). The study established the presence and distribution of Pb-rich particles, which were difficult to remove even by means of sequential washing in 1 M hydrochloric acid and surfactant. Analysis confirmed that the majority of Pb contamination was due to dust, but with significant levels remaining even after intense washing. This questions the effectiveness of phytoremediation in reducing bioavailable soil Pb levels through phyto-extraction, compared to achieving mechanical stabilization or reducing dispersion during phyto-management, and may represent a challenge to the viability of subsequent processing and use of the biomass product. Site-specific variations in contamination levels were observed, underscoring the influence of both local environmental conditions and plant morphology on dust accumulation. These observations highlight the necessity for standardized washing protocols to be adopted and for better reporting of the actual washing methods used in phytoremediation research, so as to correctly assess levels of contaminant uptake and actual remediation. The conclusion is that residual surficial dust contamination of biomass may have been overlooked in many previous phytoremediation studies and as a consequence the reported phyto-extraction potential has been over-estimated.</p

Complement membrane attack and tumorigenesis: a systems biology approach

Tumor development driven by inflammation is now an established phenomenon, but the role that complement plays remains uncertain. Recent evidence has suggested that various components of the complement (C) cascade may influence tumor development in disparate ways; however, little attention has been paid to that of the membrane attack complex (MAC). This is despite abundant evidence documenting the effects of this complex on cell behavior, including cell activation, protection from/induction of apoptosis, release of inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, and ECM components and regulators, and the triggering of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Here we present a novel approach to this issue by using global gene expression studies in conjunction with a systems biology analysis. Using network analysis of MAC-responsive expression changes, we demonstrate a cluster of co-regulated genes known to have impact in the extracellular space and on the supporting stroma and with well characterized tumor-promoting roles. Network analysis highlighted the central role for EGF receptor activation in mediating the observed responses to MAC exposure. Overall, the study sheds light on the mechanisms by which sublytic MAC causes tumor cell responses and exposes a gene expression signature that implicates MAC as a driver of tumor progression. These findings have implications for understanding of the roles of complement and the MAC in tumor development and progression, which in turn will inform future therapeutic strategies in cancer

Utility of Post-Mortem Genetic Testing in Cases of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) describes a sudden death with negative autopsy and toxicological analysis. Cardiac genetic disease is a likely etiology. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the clinical utility and combined yield of post-mortem genetic testing (molecular autopsy) in cases of SADS and comprehensive clinical evaluation of surviving relatives. METHODS: We evaluated 302 expertly validated SADS cases with suitable DNA (median age: 24 years; 65% males) who underwent next-generation sequencing using an extended panel of 77 primary electrical disorder and cardiomyopathy genes. Pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants were classified using American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) consensus guidelines. The yield of combined molecular autopsy and clinical evaluation in 82 surviving families was evaluated. A gene-level rare variant association analysis was conducted in SADS cases versus controls. RESULTS: A clinically actionable pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant was identified in 40 of 302 cases (13%). The main etiologies established were catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and long QT syndrome (17 [6%] and 11 [4%], respectively). Gene-based rare variants association analysis showed enrichment of rare predicted deleterious variants in RYR2 (p = 5 × 10(-5)). Combining molecular autopsy with clinical evaluation in surviving families increased diagnostic yield from 26% to 39%. CONCLUSIONS: Molecular autopsy for electrical disorder and cardiomyopathy genes, using ACMG guidelines for variant classification, identified a modest but realistic yield in SADS. Our data highlighted the predominant role of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and long QT syndrome, especially the RYR2 gene, as well as the minimal yield from other genes. Furthermore, we showed the enhanced utility of combined clinical and genetic evaluation