Capacitive Face Cushion for Smartphone-Based Virtual Reality Headsets

A virtual reality (VR) headset face cushion that includes a capacitive fabric is described. The capacitive fabric is connected to a smartphone’s touchscreen placed within the VR headset. The connection allows the smartphone to determine whether the user is wearing the headset by detecting the difference between the capacitance when the face cushion is touching the user’s face and when it is not touching the user’s face. When the smartphone detects that the user is not wearing the headset, it can pause the VR application and/or dim the smartphone screen, which increases battery life and improves the user’s experience

Starting STEM on the Right Foot: Developing a Student Success OER for First-Year STEM Students

This presentation will introduce a collaborative project between library and STEM faculty. The goal of the project is the creation of an open educational resource (OER) for first-year college students entering STEM fields. The final product may be an adaptation of an existing college success OER or supplemental resources. A driving force of the project is the recognition that success in STEM fields in college and beyond requires knowledge and skills distinct from and in addition to general college success skills. Early stages of the project are data gathering from first-year STEM students and STEM faculty to identify and prioritize the areas of need to be addressed in the OER. We will also be evaluating currently available college success and STEM-related OER to determine what can be remixed or adapted and what content should be created from scratch. Time will be allotted during the presentation for collaborative discussion regarding the project in its early stages

A high-throughput screen to identify inhibitors of SOD1 transcription

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal degenerative motor neuron disease. Approximately 20% of familial ALS cases are caused by mutations in the Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene. Rodents expressing mutant SOD1 transgenes develop progressive, fatal motor neuron disease and disease onset and progression is dependent on the level of SOD1. We investigated the possibility that a reduction in SOD1 protein may be of therapeutic benefit in ALS and screened 30,000 compounds for inhibition of SOD1 transcription. The most effective inhibitor identified was N-{4-[4-(4-methylbenzoyl)-1-piperazinyl]phenyl}-2-thiophenecarboxamide (Compound ID 7687685), which in PC12 cells showed an EC50 of 10.6 microM for inhibition of SOD1 expression and an LD50 >30 microM. This compound was subsequently shown to reduce endogenous SOD1 levels in HeLa cells and to exhibit a modest reduction of SOD1 protein levels in mouse spinal cord tissue. These data suggest that the efficacy of compound 7687685 as an inhibitor of SOD1 gene expression is not likely to be clinically useful, although the strategy reported could be applied broadly to screening for small molecule inhibitors of gene expression

Modulation of nucleosome dynamics in Huntington's disease

Transcriptional dysregulation and aberrant chromatin remodeling are central features in the pathology of Huntington's disease (HD). In order to more fully characterize these pathogenic events, an assessment of histone profiles and associated gene changes were performed in transgenic N171-82Q (82Q) and R6/2 HD mice. Analyses revealed significant chromatin modification, resulting in reduced histone acetylation with concomitant increased histone methylation, consistent with findings observed in HD patients. While there are no known interventions that ameliorate or arrest HD progression, DNA/RNA-binding anthracyclines may provide significant therapeutic potential by correcting pathological nucleosome changes and realigning transcription. Two such anthracyclines, chromomycin and mithramycin, improved altered nucleosome homeostasis in HD mice, normalizing the chromatin pattern. There was a significant shift in the balance between methylation and acetylation in treated HD mice to that found in wild-type mice, resulting in greater acetylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 and promoting gene transcription. Gene expression profiling in anthracycline-treated HD mice showed molecular changes that correlate with disease correction, such that a subset of downregulated genes were upregulated with anthracycline treatment. Improved nucleosomal dynamics were concurrent with a significant improvement in the behavioral and neuropathological phenotype observed in HD mice. These data show the ability of anthracycline compounds to rebalance epigenetic histone modification and, as such, may provide the rationale for the design of human clinical trials in HD patient

COVID-19 Severity Among American Indians and Alaska Natives in 16 States - January 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021

Objective: To compare rates and risk factors of severe COVID-19-related outcomes between American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and non-Hispanic White people (NHW). Methods: Aggregate Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), COVID-19-related risk factor, hospitalization, and mortality data were obtained from 16 states for January 1, 2020-March 31, 2021. Generalized estimating equation Poisson regression models calculated age-adjusted cumulative incidences, incidence ratios (IR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) comparing AI/AN and NHW persons by age, sex, and county-level SVI status. Results: Race data were missing for 42.7% of COVID-19 cases, 24.7% of hospitalizations, and 10.1% of deaths. Risk of AI/AN COVID-19 mortality was 2.6 times that of NHW persons (IR 2.6, 95% CI: 1.7 – 3.4); risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization among AI/AN persons was 3.5 times that of NHW (IR: 3.5, 95% CI: 2.7 – 4.3). Severe COVID-19 outcomes were significantly higher for AI/AN persons compared to NHW persons across all age and sex groups. There was no statistically significant difference in COVID-19 outcomes by SVI status. Associations between severe COVID-19 outcomes and co-morbid risk factors were inconsistent. Conclusions: Results describe increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes for AI/AN persons compared to NHW persons despite quality issues in public health surveillance data. Data linkages and improved ascertainment reduce race/ethnicity misclassification and improve data quality. COVID-19-related health burdens among AI/AN persons warrant improved access for AI/AN communities to medical countermeasures and healthcare resources

Pharmacometabolomics of Response to Sertraline and to Placebo in Major Depressive Disorder - Possible Role for Methoxyindole Pathway

10.1371/journal.pone.0068283PLoS ONE87-POLN