Combining random walk and regression models to understand solvation in multi-component solvent systems.

Polysaccharides, such as cellulose, are often processed by dissolution in solvent mixtures, e.g. an ionic liquid (IL) combined with a dipolar aprotic co-solvent (CS) that the polymer does not dissolve in.

Pharyngeal Dystonia Mimicking Spasmodic Dysphonia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the presentation of pharyngeal dystonia (PD), which can occur as a focal or segmental dystonia with a primarily pharyngeal involvement for the discussion of treatment methods for controlling consequent symptoms. PD is specific to speech-related tasks.

Methods: A retrospective medical record review of four patients with PD was performed.

Psychosocial Obstacles to Smoking Cessation Attempts Among Young Adult Sexual Minority Women Who Smoke.

Sexual minority women (SMW; i.e., women who identify their sexuality as lesbian, bisexual, or something other than heterosexual) report greater smoking behaviors than their heterosexual counterparts across all ages.

OncoPPi-informed discovery of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 as a novel binding partner of c-Myc.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 (MKK3) is a dual threonine/tyrosine protein kinase that regulates inflammation, proliferation and apoptosis through specific phosphorylation and activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. However, the role of MKK3 beyond p38-signaling remains elusive. Recently, we reported a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of cancer-associated genes, termed OncoPPi, as a resource for the scientific community to generate new biological models.

Estimation of insulin secretion, glucose uptake by tissues, and liver handling of glucose using a mathematical model of glucose-insulin homeostasis in lean and obese mice.

Destruction of the insulin-producing β-cells is the key determinant of diabetes mellitus regardless of their types. Due to their anatomical location within the islets of Langerhans scattered throughout the pancreas, it is difficult to monitor β-cell function and mass clinically. To this end, we propose to use a mathematical model of glucose-insulin homeostasis to estimate insulin secretion, glucose uptake by tissues, and hepatic handling of glucose.

Aerodynamic Patterns in Patients With Voice Disorders: A Retrospective Study.

Objective: A recently published retrospective chart review of aerodynamic profiles of women with primary muscle tension dysphonia by Gillespie et al (2013) identified various relationships between mean airflow rate (MFR) and estimated subglottal pressure (est-Psub). The current retrospective study expanded the diagnostic categories to include all voice disorders referred for voice therapy. Three research questions were proposed: (1) Are there differences in the MFR and the est-Psub compared with the normal control group? (2) Within the disordered population, are there different variations in the pairing of MFR and est-Psub? (3) If these variations exist, are they diagnosis specific?

Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients seen for acoustic and aerodynamic voice assessment at the Emory Voice Center between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2014, were examined for aerodynamic measures of est-Psub and MFR; of these, 192 met the inclusion criteria.

On the subtle tuneability of cellulose hydrogels: implications for binding of biomolecules demonstrated for CBM 1.

Cellulose-based hydrogel materials prepared by regeneration from cellulose solutions in ionic liquids, or ionic liquid containing solvent mixtures (organic electrolyte solutions), are becoming widely used in a range of applications from tissue scaffolds to membrane ionic diodes. In all such applications knowledge of the nature of the hydrogel with regards to porosity (pore size and tortuosity) and material structure and surface properties (crystallinity and hydrophobicity) is critical. Here we report significant changes in hydrogel properties, based on the choice of cellulose raw material (α- or bacterial cellulose - with differing degree of polymerization) and regeneration solvent (methanol or water).

Harassment and Mental Distress Among Adolescent Female Students by Sexual Identity and BMI or Perceived Weight Status.

Objective: Sexual minority girls (lesbian/bisexual) and girls with overweight/obesity experience high rates of discrimination and mental distress. This study explored whether BMI or perceived weight status might compound sexual minority girls' risk for harassment and mental distress.

Methods: Data on female students from the national 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (n = 7,006) were analyzed.

Validation of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents using Rasch analysis.

Objective: A validated measure of daytime sleepiness for adolescents is needed to better explore emerging relationships between sleepiness and the mental and physical health of adolescents. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is a widely used scale for daytime sleepiness in adults but contains references to alcohol and driving. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents (ESS-CHAD) has been proposed as the official modified version of the ESS for children and adolescents.

Assessing sleepiness and cataplexy in children and adolescents with narcolepsy: a review of current patient-reported measures.

Objective: The objective of this study was to review patient-reported outcome measures assessing excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) or cataplexy in children or adolescents to determine their usefulness and limitations in pediatric narcolepsy assessment.

Methods: Searches were performed in Embase and Medline for pediatric measures of EDS and cataplexy that are either patient- or proxy-reported, and searches of http://www.clinicaltrials.

Assessing the significance of health information seeking in chronic condition management.

Objective: To examine the relationship between health information seeking and confidence in performing self-management activities, and to assess the influence of predisposing, enabling, and perceive need factors on confidence to perform self-management activities among adults with chronic conditions.

Methods: The sample included 6724 adults from the 2007 Health Tracking Household Survey who were ≥18 years with a chronic condition. Binary logistic regression examined the relationship between health information seeking, predisposing, enabling, and perceive need factors and confidence in performing three self-management activities; prevent symptoms, tell doctor concerns, and know when to get medical care.

Learning in the health care enterprise.

Introduction: The overall enterprise of health care delivery is considered. The 4 levels of the enterprise include clinical practices, processes that provide capabilities and information, structure that includes the business entities involved, and ecosystem that includes Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Congress, as well as societal values and norms. It is argued that the enterprise of health care delivery needs to be transformed to enable high-quality, affordable care for everyone.

The OncoPPi network of cancer-focused protein-protein interactions to inform biological insights and therapeutic strategies.

As genomics advances reveal the cancer gene landscape, a daunting task is to understand how these genes contribute to dysregulated oncogenic pathways. Integration of cancer genes into networks offers opportunities to reveal protein-protein interactions (PPIs) with functional and therapeutic significance. Here, we report the generation of a cancer-focused PPI network, termed OncoPPi, and identification of >260 cancer-associated PPIs not in other large-scale interactomes.

MEDICI: Mining Essentiality Data to Identify Critical Interactions for Cancer Drug Target Discovery and Development.

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) mediate the transmission and regulation of oncogenic signals that are essential to cellular proliferation and survival, and thus represent potential targets for anti-cancer therapeutic discovery. Despite their significance, there is no method to experimentally disrupt and interrogate the essentiality of individual endogenous PPIs. The ability to computationally predict or infer PPI essentiality would help prioritize PPIs for drug discovery and help advance understanding of cancer biology.

AKT1, LKB1, and YAP1 Revealed as MYC Interactors with NanoLuc-Based Protein-Fragment Complementation Assay.

The c-Myc (MYC) transcription factor is a major cancer driver and a well-validated therapeutic target. However, directly targeting MYC has been challenging. Thus, identifying proteins that interact with and regulate MYC may provide alternative strategies to inhibit its oncogenic activity.

A low balance between microparticles expressing tissue factor pathway inhibitor and tissue factor is associated with thrombosis in Behçet's Syndrome.

Thrombosis is common in Behçet's Syndrome (BS), and there is a need for better biomarkers for risk assessment. As microparticles expressing Tissue Factor (TF) can contribute to thrombosis in preclinical models, we investigated whether plasma microparticles expressing Tissue Factor (TF) are increased in BS. We compared blood plasma from 72 healthy controls with that from 88 BS patients (21 with a history of thrombosis (Th+) and 67 without (Th-).

Botulinum Toxin-A Dosing Trends for Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia at a Single Institution Over 10 Years.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the changes in dosing of botulinum toxin-A for adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) over a prolonged period.

Study Design: This is a retrospective chart review.

Methods: One hundred thirteen subjects treated for ADSD from 2003 to 2013 were identified from a clinical database.

Co-infection with two strains of Brome mosaic bromovirus reveals common RNA recombination sites in different hosts.

We have previously reported intra-segmental crossovers in Brome mosaic virus (BMV) RNAs. In this work, we studied the homologous recombination of BMV RNA in three different hosts: barley (, , and that were co-infected with two strains of BMV: Russian (R) and Fescue (F). Our work aimed at (1) establishing the frequency of recombination, (2) mapping the recombination hot spots, and (3) addressing host effects.

Structural Basis for KDM5A Histone Lysine Demethylase Inhibition by Diverse Compounds.

The KDM5/JARID1 family of Fe(II)- and α-ketoglutarate-dependent demethylases removes methyl groups from methylated lysine 4 of histone H3. Accumulating evidence supports a role for KDM5 family members as oncogenic drivers. We compare the in vitro inhibitory properties and binding affinity of ten diverse compounds with all four family members, and present the crystal structures of the KDM5A-linked Jumonji domain in complex with eight of these inhibitors in the presence of Mn(II).