Cancer Treatment-Related Fatigue: Psychometric Testing of the Cancer Treatment-Related Fatigue Representation Scale (CTRFRep) in Patients Undergoing Radiation Treatment for Cancer

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Cancer treatment-related fatigue (CTRF) is recognized as a prevalent and bothersome symptom for patients with cancer. In a model of the CTRF experience, CTRF representation, or the beliefs, thoughts and emotions surrounding the experience of CTRF, is believed to mediate the relationship between CTRF intensity and CTRF distress. To date, there is no reported measure of CTRF representation. The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional study guided by Leventhal’s Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation was to evaluate an instrument designed to measure CTRF representation, the CTRF Representation scale (CTRFRep), based on an existing measure, the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R). The study included 47 patients (mean age=57.7 years) receiving radiation therapy for cancer interviewed one month post-treatment. 77% of patients had fatigue during treatment. Three content experts and one theory expert assessed content validity of the CTRFRep. The content experts included three behavioral oncology nurse researchers whose focus is on symptom management and/or fatigue. The theory expert was a nurse researcher who is an expert in the area of self-regulation theory. As tested, the CTRFRep consisted of 105 items in 10 subscales addressing beliefs about the Identity, Timeline (Acute vs. Chronic/Cyclical), Consequences (positive/negative), Cause, Control (Treatment/Personal), Symptom Coherence, and Emotional Representation of CTRF. When evaluating psychometrics, the Identity and Cause subscales are analyzed independent of the other subscales. For the Identity subscale, symptoms most reported as related to CTRF were lack of energy, loss of strength, and feeling blue. For the Cause subscale, the most common beliefs regarding causes of CTRF were cancer treatment(s), having cancer, and stress or worry. Results indicate adequate reliability in six of eight remaining subscales (α>=0.70); the item N in those subscales was reduced from 56 to 34. To address construct validity, logistic regression assessed whether CTRFRep mediated the relationship between CTRF intensity and CTRF distress. After controlling for negative affect, the Identity and Consequences subscales were significant mediators – the Acute vs. Chronic Timeline and Emotional Representation scales were partial mediators – of the relationship between CTRF intensity on CTRF distress. These findings indicate fatigue is a problem for people undergoing treatment for cancer, and the CTRFRep may be a reliable and valid measure of CTRF representation for patients undergoing radiation treatment for cancer. Small sample size prevented successful factor analysis of the CTRFRep. Further research of the CTRFRep is warranted

The Power of Algorithms and Big Data: A Marketing Perspective on Consumer Manipulation in Business

In marketing, predictive analytics molds big data into tools that can create demographics, target pleasurable neuromodulator chemicals like dopamine, and influence individual and societal behavior patterns. Professionals and scholars alike can use machine-based computation to transform big data into usable knowledge that accurately represents and tracks human behavior. The deception used by marketers to achieve monetary profit can be seen as a direct exploitation of consumers’ trust and privacy. In the past couple of decades this has led to the acceleration of the attention economy and has fueled the age of information. It has pushed countries to not only enforce new laws and regulations, but also race to secure control over data science technologies. Thus, this unchecked greed has created a world in which the power of algorithms and big data is of paramount importance. The future of humanity rides on the success of artificial intelligence algorithms (AI technologies), it is imperative that conversations around this topic become more frequent. The research for this thesis will ultimately lead to a better understanding of how the unregulated dynamic between artificial intelligence programs, big data, corporations, and marketers have had an invasive impact on consumers

Computer simulations reveal novel properties of the cell-cell signaling network at the shoot apex in /Arabidopsis

The active transport of the plant hormone auxin plays a major role in the initiation of organs at the shoot apex. Polar localized membrane proteins of the PIN1 family facilitate this transport, and recent observations suggest that auxin maxima created by these proteins are at the basis of organ initiation. This hypothesis is based on the visual, qualitative characterization of the complex distribution patterns of the PIN1 protein in Arabidopsis. To take these analyses further, we investigated the properties of the patterns using computational modeling. The simulations reveal previously undescribed properties of PIN1 distribution. In particular, they suggest an important role for the meristem summit in the distribution of auxin. We confirm these predictions by further experimentation and propose a detailed model for the dynamics of auxin fluxes at the shoot apex

Panicle Angle is an Important Factor in Tef Lodging Tolerance.

Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is an important crop in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Ethiopia, where it is a staple food for over 60 million people. However, the productivity of tef remains extremely low in part due to its susceptibility to lodging. Lodging is the displacement of the plant from the upright position, and it is exacerbated by rain, wind and the application of fertilizer. In order to address the issue of global food security, especially in the Horn of Africa, greater insight into the causes of tef lodging is needed. In this study, we combine modeling and biomechanical measurements to compare the properties relating to lodging tolerance in high yielding, improved tef genotypes, and lower yielding natural landraces. Our results indicate that the angle of the panicle contributes to the likelihood of lodging in tef. Varieties with compact panicles and reduced height had increased lodging resistance compared to the other varieties. By comparing different varieties, we found that overall, the landraces of tef lodged less than improved varieties. We constructed a model of stem bending and found that panicle angle was an important determinant of the amount of lodging. The findings from this study provide key information to those involved in tef improvement, especially those interested in lodging tolerance

Qualitative modelling and analysis of regulations in multi-cellular systems using Petri nets and topological collections

In this paper, we aim at modelling and analyzing the regulation processes in multi-cellular biological systems, in particular tissues. The modelling framework is based on interconnected logical regulatory networks a la Rene Thomas equipped with information about their spatial relationships. The semantics of such models is expressed through colored Petri nets to implement regulation rules, combined with topological collections to implement the spatial information. Some constraints are put on the the representation of spatial information in order to preserve the possibility of an enumerative and exhaustive state space exploration. This paper presents the modelling framework, its semantics, as well as a prototype implementation that allowed preliminary experimentation on some applications.Comment: In Proceedings MeCBIC 2010, arXiv:1011.005

ALEA: A software for integrating analysis and simulation tools for 3D architecture and ecophysiology

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An automated confocal micro-extensometer enables in vivo quantification of mechanical properties with cellular resolution

How complex developmental-genetic networks are translated into organs with specific 3D shapes remains an open question. This question is particularly challenging because the elaboration of specific shapes is in essence a question of mechanics. In plants, this means how the genetic circuitry affects the cell wall. The mechanical properties of the wall and their spatial variation are the key factors controlling morphogenesis in plants. However, these properties are difficult to measure and investigating their relation to genetic regulation is particularly challenging. To measure spatial variation of mechanical properties, one must determine the deformation of a tissue in response to a known force with cellular resolution. Here, we present an automated confocal micro-extensometer (ACME), which greatly expands the scope of existing methods for measuring mechanical properties. Unlike classical extensometers, ACME is mounted on a confocal microscope and uses confocal images to compute the deformation of the tissue directly from biological markers, thus providing 3D cellular scale information and improved accuracy. Additionally, ACME is suitable for measuring the mechanical responses in live tissue. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate that the plant hormone gibberellic acid induces a spatial gradient in mechanical properties along the length of the Arabidopsis thaliana hypocotyl

Alignment between PIN1 Polarity and Microtubule Orientation in the Shoot Apical Meristem Reveals a Tight Coupling between Morphogenesis and Auxin Transport

Morphogenesis during multicellular development is regulated by intercellular signaling molecules as well as by the mechanical properties of individual cells. In particular, normal patterns of organogenesis in plants require coordination between growth direction and growth magnitude. How this is achieved remains unclear. Here we show that in Arabidopsis thaliana, auxin patterning and cellular growth are linked through a correlated pattern of auxin efflux carrier localization and cortical microtubule orientation. Our experiments reveal that both PIN1 localization and microtubule array orientation are likely to respond to a shared upstream regulator that appears to be biomechanical in nature. Lastly, through mathematical modeling we show that such a biophysical coupling could mediate the feedback loop between auxin and its transport that underlies plant phyllotaxis

Transcriptional regulatory framework for vascular cambium development in Arabidopsis roots

Vascular cambium, a lateral plant meristem is a central producer of woody biomass. Although a few transcription factors (TFs) have been shown to regulate cambial activity1, the phenotypes of the corresponding loss-of-function mutants are relatively modest, highlighting our limited understanding of the underlying transcriptional regulation. Here, we utilize cambium cell-specific transcript profiling followed by a combination of TF network and genetic analyses to identify 62 novel TF genotypes displaying an array of cambial phenotypes. This approach culminated in virtual loss of cambial activity when both WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 4 (WOX4) and KNOTTED-like from Arabidopsis thaliana 1 (KNAT1; also known as BREVIPEDICELLUS (BP) were mutated, thereby unlocking the genetic redundancy in the regulation of cambium development. We also identified TFs with dual functions in cambial cell proliferation and xylem differentiation, including WOX4, SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) and PETAL LOSS (PTL). Using the TF network information, we combined overexpression of the cambial activator WOX4 and removal of the putative inhibitor PTL to engineer Arabidopsis for enhanced radial growth. This line also showed ectopic cambial activity, thus further highlighting the central roles of WOX4 and PTL in cambium development.This work was supported by Finnish Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology of Primary Producers (Academy of Finland CoE program 2014-2019) decision #271832, the Gatsby Foundation (GAT3395/PR3)), the University of Helsinki (award 799992091) and the European Research Council Advanced Investigator Grant SYMDEV (No. 323052) to Y.H.; Academy of Finland (grants #132376, #266431, #271832), University of Helsinki HiLIFE fellowship to A.P.M.; National Research Foundation of Korea (2018R1A5A1023599 and 2016R1A2B2015258) to J-Y. L