“A Voice In Your Ear” Podcast – The Second Year

In July of 2016, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine matriculated their first cohort (Class of 2020). In an attempt to organize the advice that the Class of 2020 planned to provide future classes, a podcast was developed by several medical students from the Class of 2020 in cooperation with faculty and administration

Design, Development and Construct Validation of the Children’s

Objective: To design and validate a literature-derived, population-based Children’s Dietary Inflammatory Index (C-DII)TM. Design: The C-DII was developed based on a review of literature through 2010. Dietary data obtained from children in 16 different countries were used to create a reference database for computing C-DII scores based on consumption of macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and whole foods. Construct validation was performed using quantile regression to assess the association between C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations and C-DII scores. Data Sources: All data used for construct validation were obtained from children between six and 14 years of age (n = 3300) who participated in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2005–2010). Results: The C-DII was successfully validated with blood CRP concentrations in this heterogeneous sample of 3300 children from NHANES (52% male; 29% African American, 25% Mexican American; mean age 11 years). The final model was adjusted for sex, age, race, asthma, body mass index (BMI), and infections. Children in level 3 (i.e., quartiles 3 and 4 combined) of the C-DII (i.e., children with the most pro-inflammatory diets) had a CRP value 0.097 mg/dL higher than that in level 1 (i.e., quartile 1) for CRP values at the 75th percentile of CRP using quantile regression (p \u3c 0.05). Conclusion: The C-DII predicted blood CRP concentrations among children 6–14 years in the NHANES. Further construct validation with CRP and other inflammatory markers is required to deepen understanding of the relationship between the C-DII and markers of inflammation in childre

An RNA interference-based screen of transcription factor genes identifies pathways necessary for sensory regeneration in the avian inner ear

Sensory hair cells of the inner ear are the mechano-electric transducers of sound and head motion. In mammals, damage to sensory hair cells leads to hearing or balance deficits. Non-mammalian vertebrates such as birds can regenerate hair cells after injury. In a previous study, we characterized transcription factor gene expression during chicken hair cell regeneration. In those studies, a laser micro-beam or ototoxic antibiotics were used to damage the sensory epithelia (SE). The current study focused on 27 genes that were up-regulated in regenerating SE compared to untreated SE in the previous study. Those genes were knocked down by siRNA, to determine their requirement for supporting cell proliferation and to measure resulting changes in the larger network of gene expression. We identified 11 genes necessary for proliferation and also identified novel interactive relationships between many of them. Defined components of the WNT, PAX and AP1 pathways were shown to be required for supporting cell proliferation. These pathways intersect on WNT4, which is also necessary for proliferation. Among the required genes, the CCAAT enhancer binding protein, CEBPG, acts downstream of Jun Kinase and JUND in the AP1 pathway. The WNT co-receptor LRP5 acts downstream of CEBPG as does the transcription factor BTAF1. Both of these genes are also necessary for supporting cell proliferation. This is the first large scale screen of its type and suggests an important intersection between the AP1 pathway, the PAX pathway and WNT signaling in the regulation of supporting cell proliferation during inner ear hair cell regeneration

X-rays Studies of the Solar System

X-ray observatories contribute fundamental advances in Solar System studies by probing Sun-object interactions, developing planet and satellite surface composition maps, probing global magnetospheric dynamics, and tracking astrochemical reactions. Despite these crucial results, the technological limitations of current X-ray instruments hinder the overall scope and impact for broader scientific application of X-ray observations both now and in the coming decade. Implementation of modern advances in X-ray optics will provide improvements in effective area, spatial resolution, and spectral resolution for future instruments. These improvements will usher in a truly transformative era of Solar System science through the study of X-ray emission.Comment: White paper submitted to Astro2020, the Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Surve

Molecular motors robustly drive active gels to a critically connected state

Living systems often exhibit internal driving: active, molecular processes drive nonequilibrium phenomena such as metabolism or migration. Active gels constitute a fascinating class of internally driven matter, where molecular motors exert localized stresses inside polymer networks. There is evidence that network crosslinking is required to allow motors to induce macroscopic contraction. Yet a quantitative understanding of how network connectivity enables contraction is lacking. Here we show experimentally that myosin motors contract crosslinked actin polymer networks to clusters with a scale-free size distribution. This critical behavior occurs over an unexpectedly broad range of crosslink concentrations. To understand this robustness, we develop a quantitative model of contractile networks that takes into account network restructuring: motors reduce connectivity by forcing crosslinks to unbind. Paradoxically, to coordinate global contractions, motor activity should be low. Otherwise, motors drive initially well-connected networks to a critical state where ruptures form across the entire network.Comment: Main text: 21 pages, 5 figures. Supplementary Information: 13 pages, 8 figure

Local Recurrence Rates are Low in High-Risk Neoadjuvant Breast Cancer in the I-SPY 1 Trial (CALGB 150007/150012; ACRIN 6657)

Increasingly, women with stage 2 and 3 breast cancers receive neoadjuvant therapy, after which many are eligible for breast-conserving surgery (BCS). The question often arises as to whether BCS, if achievable, provides adequate local control. We report the results of local recurrence (LR) from the I-SPY 1 Trial in the setting of maximal multidisciplinary treatment where approximately 50 % of patients were treated with BCS

The solsticial pause on Mars: 1. A planetary wave reanalysis

Large-scale planetary waves are diagnosed from an analysis of profiles retrieved from the Thermal Emission Spectrometer aboard the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft during its scientific mapping phase. The analysis is conducted by assimilating thermal profiles and total dust opacity retrievals into a Mars global circulation model. Transient waves are largest throughout the northern hemisphere autumn, winter and spring period and almost absent during the summer. The southern hemisphere exhibits generally weaker transient wave behaviour. A striking feature of the low-altitude transient waves in the analysis is that they show a broad subsidiary minimum in amplitude centred on the winter solstice, a period when the thermal contrast between the summer hemisphere and the winter pole is strongest and baroclinic wave activity might be expected to be strong. This behaviour, here called the ‘solsticial pause,’ is present in every year of the analysis. This strong pause is under-represented in many independent model experiments, which tend to produce relatively uniform baroclinic wave activity throughout the winter. This paper documents and diagnoses the transient wave solsticial pause found in the analysis; a companion paper investigates the origin of the phenomenon in a series of model experiments

A core outcome set for studies of gestational diabetes mellitus prevention and treatment

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this systematic review was to develop core outcome sets (COSs) for trials evaluating interventions for the prevention or treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: We identified previously reported outcomes through a systematic review of the literature. These outcomes were presented to key stakeholders (including patient representatives, researchers and clinicians) for prioritisation using a three-round, e-Delphi study. A priori consensus criteria informed which outcomes were brought forward for discussion at a face-to-face consensus meeting where the COS was finalised. RESULTS: Our review identified 74 GDM prevention and 116 GDM treatment outcomes, which were presented to stakeholders in round 1 of the e-Delphi study. Round 1 was completed by 173 stakeholders, 70% (121/173) of whom went on to complete round 2; 84% (102/121) of round 2 responders completed round 3. Twenty-two GDM prevention outcomes and 30 GDM treatment outcomes were discussed at the consensus meeting. Owing to significant overlap between included prevention and treatment outcomes, consensus meeting stakeholders agreed to develop a single prevention/treatment COS. Fourteen outcomes were included in the final COS. These consisted of six maternal outcomes (GDM diagnosis, adherence to the intervention, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, requirement and type of pharmacological therapy for hyperglycaemia, gestational weight gain and mode of birth) and eight neonatal outcomes (birthweight, large for gestational age, small for gestational age, gestational age at birth, preterm birth, neonatal hypoglycaemia, neonatal death and stillbirth). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: This COS will enable future GDM prevention and treatment trials to measure similar outcomes that matter to stakeholders and facilitate comparison and combination of these studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered prospectively with the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET) database: http://www.comet-initiative.org/studies/details/686/

The unusual M-dwarf Warm Jupiter TOI-1899~b: Refinement of orbital and planetary parameters

TOI-1899~b is a rare exoplanet, a temperate Warm Jupiter orbiting an M-dwarf, first discovered by \citet{Canas2020_toi1899} from a TESS single-transit event. Using new radial velocities (RVs) from the precision RV spectrographs HPF and NEID, along with additional TESS photometry and ground-based transit follow-up, we are able to derive a much more precise orbital period of $P = 29.090312_{-0.000035}^{+0.000036}$~d, along with a radius of $R_p = 0.99\pm0.03$~\unit{R_{J}}. We have also improved the constraints on planet mass, $M_p = 0.67\pm{0.04}$~\unit{M_{J}}, and eccentricity, which is consistent with a circular orbit at 2$\sigma$ ($e = 0.044_{-0.027}^{+0.029}$). TOI-1899~b occupies a unique region of parameter space as the coolest known ($T_{eq} \approx$ 380~K) Jovian-sized transiting planet around an M-dwarf; we show that it has great potential to provide clues regarding the formation and migration mechanisms of these rare gas giants through transmission spectroscopy with JWST as well as studies of tidal evolution.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, submitted to AJ (comments welcome