Formulations

How do we define nature on an intimate level? How do we ascribe value to the myriad processes which surround us on a daily basis? Through conceptual explorations in the mediums of photography, video, and sculptural installation, my artwork touches on the remarkable presence these natural phenomena can have in our lives and questions whether our cultural, scientific, or otherwise logical rationalizations of nature have the potential to fully recognize our relationship to it. Through the discussion of human logic schemes such as the objective observer, our scientific capacity to model nature and our cultural codification of natural law, this thesis aims to contextualize my visual experimentations in contemporary art practice

The Genetic Portrait Project: An Art Initiative at The American Society of Human Genetics

poster abstractAbstract: The Genetic Portrait Project, an ongoing photo documentary which uses art to explore society’s current perceptions of genetic research and the implications for the future, created an interactive art initiative at the American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting and the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities National Conference, from October 16-21, 2014 in San Diego, CA. Over 230 individuals from these two prominent genetics and bioethics conferences were photographed alongside their response to the question: “How Do You Think Genetic Research will Affect the Future?” The aim of the initiative was to provide an engaging and fun means for geneticists, bioethicists and associated professionals to reflect on the larger social impact and implications of their work. A unique outcome of this initiative was the creation of an on-site evolving exhibition that expanded as more people participated. The interactivity and awareness of the project was strengthened using social media to broadcast, catalog and provide an additional mechanism for feedback and reflection. This project was supported by an IUPUI Arts & Humanities Institute grant, an Individual Artist Grant from the Indiana Arts Commission, Canon USA Inc., and the American Society of Human Genetics. ©Stefan Petranek Visuals/Logistical requirements: At the IUPUI research day, I would like to use an HD projector (I will provide) to share images taken from the project. I would need access to electrical (I can provide an extension cord), an ability to place the projector on a pedestal 10 feet back from a projection surface (I will provide the pedistal). A white wall or screen would be equally good as a projection surface

The Genetic Portrait Project

As new milestones in medicine, agriculture, and synthetic biology are reached through the study and manipulation of genes, scientific research is being translated into technology that is poised to have dramatic affects on each of us. This innovative project explores American sentiment toward genetics by asking individuals from a variety of cultural, educational, and socio-economic backgrounds to respond to the question: “How do you think genetics will affect the future?” Photographs and videos of the individual along with their written/drawn responses are made to document our culture’s current understanding of this timely subject

Idiopathic Hypersomnia—A Dynamic Simulation Model

Aims of the study: Commonly used approach to illness assessment focuses on the patient's actual state supplemented by binary records of past events and conditions. This research project was designed to explain subjective experience in idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) patients influenced by their clinical symptoms and comorbidities. Material and Methods: Forty-three IH patients of both sexes (female 60.5%, male 39.5%) were assessed using a detailed structured examination. The interview covered neurologic, psychiatric, and internal medicine anamnesis, medication past and current, substance abuse, work impairment, detailed sleep-related data, specific sleep medication, and a full-length set of questionnaires including depression, quality of life, sleepiness, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, and sleep inertia. The data were digitized and imported into statistical software (SPSS by IBM), and dynamic simulation software (Vensim by Ventana Systems Inc.) was used to build a causal loop diagram and stocks and flows diagram as a simulation structure. Results: The overall raw data and simulation-based patterns fit at 76.1%. The simulation results also identified the parameters that contribute the most to patients' subjective experience. These included sleep inertia, the refreshing potential of naps, the quality of nocturnal sleep, and the social aspects of the patient's life. Psychiatric disorders influence the overall pattern at a surprisingly low level. The influence of medication has been studied in detail. Although its contribution to the dynamics looks marginal at first sight, it significantly influences the contribution of other variables to the overall patient experience of the disease. Conclusion: Even the simplified dynamic structure designed by the research team reflects the real-life events in patients with IH at the acceptable level of 76.1% and suggests that a similar structure plays an important role in the course of the disease. Therapeutic focus on the parameters identified by the model should enhance the patients' subjective experience throughout illness duration and might even turn the progress from negative into positive. Further research is needed to understand the dynamics of idiopathic hypersomnia in greater detail to better understand the causes and design therapeutic approaches to improve patients' quality of life.</p

Hybrid fly ash based alkali activated cements

Alkaline activation is one of the most perspective ways for creating very high volumes fly ash cements. The main phases of structure in such “hybrid” systems are represented by mixes N-A-S-H and N-C-A-S-H new formations. The paper is showing differences in structure formation and properties of low-Ca and high-Ca-containing fly ash alkali activated cements. Appropriate pplications are shown

The sight of one's own body:Could qEEG help predict the treatment response in anorexia nervosa?

AIMS OF THE STUDY: The study aims to identify the differences in brain activity between participants with anorexia nervosa and healthy control using visual stimulus conditions combined with the quantitative dense-array EEG recording analysis method called Brain Activation Sequences (BAS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 23 participants with anorexia nervosa and 21 healthy controls were presented with visual stimuli, including the subject’s facial expressions and body images. The 128-channel EEG data were processed using BAS and displayed as activity in up to 66 brain regions. Subsequent cluster analysis was used to identify groups of participants exhibiting area-specific activation patterns. RESULTS: Cluster analysis identified three distinct groups: one including all healthy controls (HC) and two consisting of all participants with anorexia (AN-I with 19 participants and AN-II with four participants). The AN-I and AN-II groups differed in their response to treatment. Comparisons of HC vs. AN confirmed the dominance of the right cerebral hemisphere in participants with anorexia nervosa in two of the three reported conditions. The facial expressions condition, specifically the facial reaction expressing disgust, indicates the existence of a social attentional bias toward faces, whereas emotions remained undetected in participants. High limbic activity, medial frontal gyrus involvement, low fusiform cortex activity, and milder visual cortex activity in healthy controls compared to participants indicate that the facial expression stimulus is perceived by healthy subjects primarily as an emotion, not as the face itself. In the body image condition, participants showed higher activity in the fusiform gyrus and right insula, indicating activation of the brain’s “fear network.” CONCLUSION: The study describes a specific pattern of brain activation in response to facial expression of disgust and body images that likely contributes to social-cognitive and behavioral impairments in anorexia. In addition, the substantial difference in the pattern of brain activation within the participants with AN and its association with treatment resistance deserves special attention because of its potential to develop a clinically useful prediction tool and identify potential targets for, for example, neuromodulatory treatments and/or individualized psychotherapy

Discovery and validation of dominantly inherited Alzheimer\u27s disease mutations in populations from Latin America

BACKGROUND: In fewer than 1% of patients, AD is caused by autosomal dominant mutations in either the presenilin 1 (PSEN1), presenilin 2 (PSEN2), or amyloid precursor protein (APP) genes. The full extent of familial AD and frequency of these variants remains understudied in Latin American (LatAm) countries. Due to the rare nature of these variants, determining the pathogenicity of a novel variant in these genes can be challenging. Here, we use a systematic approach to assign the likelihood of pathogenicity in variants from densely affected families in Latin American populations. METHODS: Clinical data was collected from LatAm families at risk for DIAD. Symptomatic family members were identified and assessed by local clinicians and referred for genetic counseling and testing. To determine the likelihood of pathogenicity among variants of unknown significance from LatAm populations, we report pedigree information, frequency in control populations, in silico predictions, and cell-based models of amyloid-beta ratios. RESULTS: We identified five novel variants in the presenilin1 (PSEN1) gene from Brazilian and Mexican families. The mean age at onset in newly identified families was 43.5 years (range 36-54). PSEN1 p.Val103_Ser104delinsGly, p.Lys395Ile, p.Pro264Se, p.Ala275Thr, and p.Ile414Thr variants have not been reported in PubMed, ClinVar, and have not been reported in dominantly inherited AD (DIAD) families. We found that PSEN1 p.Val103_Ser104delinsGly, p.Lys395Ile, p.Pro264Se, and p.Ala275Thr produce Aβ profiles consistent with known AD pathogenic mutations. PSEN1 p.Ile414Thr did not alter Aβ in a manner consistent with a known pathogenic mutation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides further insights into the genetics of AD in LatAm. Based on our findings, including clinical presentation, imaging, genetic, segregations studies, and cell-based analysis, we propose that PSEN1 p.Val103_Ser104delinsGly, p.Lys395Ile, p.Pro264Se, and p.Ala275Thr are likely pathogenic variants resulting in DIAD, whereas PSEN1 p.Ile414Thr is likely a risk factor. This report is a step forward to improving the inclusion/engagement of LatAm families in research. Family discovery is of great relevance for the region, as new initiatives are underway to extend clinical trials and observational studies to families living with DIAD