Distinct Communication Patterns Research Articles

Abstract A055: Multiomics profiling reveals druggable tumor-stroma interactions in ATM-deficient pancreatic cancer

Abstract The complex biology of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a significant challenge and limits overcoming its dismal prognosis. The tumor microenvironment (TME), shaped by dynamic interactions between cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), immune and tumor cells, plays a crucial role in PDAC pathogenesis. Uncharted field lies in the impact of specific gene mutations within the tumor epithelium on orchestrating distinct oncogenic TME patterns. Our investigation into homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), caused by mutations in genes like ATM, reveals its role in promoting PDAC aggressiveness and triggering a pronounced desmoplastic reaction, suggesting a unique TME programing. Through single-cell-resolved and multiomics analyses of murine ATM and/or P53-depleted PDACs, and validation in human cases, we unveil transcriptional, translational, and secretory regulatory events, shed light on the intricate interplay between tumor genetics and PDAC microenvironment and pave the way for the elaboration of novel personalized therapies. Murine tumor analysis using single-nucleus multiomics RNA and ATAC sequencing, alongside histological validation in human tissues, revealed specific enrichment of myCAFs in ATM-deficient tumors and reduced populations of T cells and macrophages. Molecular signatures and cell-cell communication inference uncovered ATM-specific interactions within the TME, highlighting TGF-β signaling as pivotal in mediating dialog between CAFs and an aggressive EMT-like tumor cell subset prevalent in ATM-depleted tumors. Additionally, distinct communication patterns were observed between CAFs and immune cells, associated with specific epigenetic and molecular profiles. Mechanistically, transcriptomics, secretomics and proteomics investigations confirmed increased TGFβ release by ATM-deficient PDAC cells and identified a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated mechanism affecting tumor cell behavior and interactions with CAFs. Consistently, a combinatorial therapy targeting TGF-β-mediated tumor-stroma dialog reversed cancer-promoting TME remodeling and exacerbated FOLFIRINOX cytotoxic effects, in vivo, exclusively in ATM-deficient HRD PDACs. Dissecting the biology of ATM-deficient HRD malignant cells, our study unveils their pivotal role in orchestrating oncogenic communication networks with CAFs and immune cells, along with specific tumor promoting stromal reprogramming. Our findings paint a comprehensive picture of how distinct tumor-stroma interactions reshape the TME, steering it towards a cancer-promoting outcome and shed light on the potential to exploit genotype-specific vulnerabilities via tailored tumor-stroma interference strategies. Citation Format: Elodie Roger, Hannah M. Mummey, Eleni Zimmer, Julia Ragg, Yuna Lee, Kyle J. Gaulton, Alica K. Beutel, Christopher J. Halbrook, Lukas Perkhofer, Johann Gout, Alexander Kleger. Multiomics profiling reveals druggable tumor-stroma interactions in ATM-deficient pancreatic cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Advances in Pancreatic Cancer Research; 2024 Sep 15-18; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(17 Suppl_2):Abstract nr A055.

The Pragmatics of Refusal: A Study of Parent-Daughter Communication Dynamics in Saudi Arabia

This study examines the realization of refusal speech acts by female Saudi Arabic speakers in response to parental requests, focusing on the potential impact of parental gender and request imposition on refusal strategies. Sixty participants from (anonymous) University completed a written discourse completion test (DCT) containing six scenarios with varying degrees of imposition (low, medium, high) featuring either a mother or a father. Findings revealed significant variations in refusal strategies directed toward mothers and fathers, influenced by gender expectations and imposition levels. Saudi females predominantly employed the "Excuse, reason, explanation" strategy with both parents but demonstrated distinct strategies in high-imposition request situations when interacting with fathers versus mothers. Females tended to use the "Attempt to dissuade interlocutor" strategy with fathers and the "Statement of alternative" approach with mothers. Furthermore, Saudi daughters were less inclined to use direct refusals when responding to fathers compared to mothers. These findings highlight communication, power, and relationship dynamics within Saudi families, potentially leading to distinct communication patterns and expectations among interlocutors.

Adaptation of communication styles inventory to Russian context

Communication style refers to the distinct ways individuals exhibit verbal, paraverbal, and nonverbal communication patterns in social interactions. It involves receiving, interpreting, and delivering feedback and messages. Factors like culture and personality affect communication styles, and tools like communication styles inventory (CSI) help evaluate and improve individuals’ communication skills. Cultural differences significantly impact communication styles, so it’s important to adapt and validate measurement instruments for diverse cultural settings, such as adapting CSI for the Russian context. This study aims to adapt CSI for use in the Russian context. The research follows a quantitative approach, collecting data from 407 undergraduate and graduate students across different universities. CSI is a questionnaire assessing six distinct communication patterns with 96 items. The researchers conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to examine CSI’s validity and reliability in the Russian context. The analyses yielded an eight-factor model explaining 59.5% of the total variance. Although two factors from the original scale were preserved, other factors were newly named. The confirmatory factor analysis tested the relationship between the original sub-dimensions and the new dimensions, resulting in a better-adapted model with significant relationships between items and factors. The findings indicate the scale’s suitability for different cultures and sample groups, supporting its validity and reliability. Further research should adapt the scale to other cultures and utilize it in studies in the Russian context.

Mismatch between Pediatric Oncologists' Private and Parent-Facing Prognostic Communication: Communication Patterns Used to Soften Prognostic Disclosure.

Purpose: Most parents of children with cancer desire honest prognostic communication, yet oncologists often avoid clear prognostic disclosure. This study explored differences between oncologists' private assessments of prognosis and their prognostic communication with patients and parents. Patients and Methods: In this prospective, longitudinal, mixed-methods study, we audio-recorded serial disease reevaluation conversations between children with advancing cancer, parents, and primary oncologists and separately surveyed and interviewed oncologists at disease progression time points. At time points when oncologists privately described curability as ≤10%, content analysis was used to compare prognostic language in recorded dialogue with private responses about prognosis. Results: Of 33 enrolled patient-parent dyads, 17 patients with high-risk cancer under the care of 6 primary oncologists experienced disease progression during the study period. In 95% of oncologist interviews at disease progression time points, oncologists either predicted curability to be ≤10% or incurable. In most interviews (82%), oncologists stated unequivocally that chances of cure were ≤10%, yet did not communicate these low odds during recorded discussions at the same time point. Analysis revealed three distinct communication patterns through which oncologists softened prognostic disclosure to patients and families: (1) space-holding for hope of cure: statements acknowledging difficult prognosis yet leaving room for possibility of cure; (2) vague warning: statements implying that cancer may progress without offering specifics; and (3) data without interpretation: statements describing disease progression findings in detail without explaining what this meant for the patient's future life or survival. Conclusion: Pediatric oncologists often temper their assessment of poor prognosis when speaking with patients and families. Future work should explore serious conversation guides and other clinical interventions aimed at encouraging person-centered prognostic disclosure for patients with advancing cancer and their families.

Distinct communication patterns of trophoblastic miRNA among the maternal-placental-fetal compartments

IntroductionThe placenta produces microRNAs (miRNA) that may traffic to the maternal or fetal compartments and influence the physiology of pregnancy. The trafficking patterns of miRNA expressed from the large human chromosome 19 and chromosome 14 clusters (C19MC and C14MC), remains unclear. We interrogated the cross-sectional landscape of miRNA expression within the human placenta, fetal and maternal plasma to elucidate miRNA trafficking. We hypothesized that C19MC and C14MC miRNAs have similar expression patterns across the maternal-fetal compartments. MethodsPlacental biopsies, maternal and fetal venous plasma were collected from 25 pregnancies, and RNA was quantified using next generation sequencing. We identified expression and correlations differences among the compartments, and uncovered distinct miRNA expression patterns using consensus clustering. ResultsWe found that the placenta exhibits the highest total abundance, average miRNA expression and lowest variance of both C19MC and C14MC miRNAs. The C19MC miRNAs had a comparable expression and variance in fetal and maternal plasma and higher expression in the placenta. In contrast, the C14MC miRNAs had comparable expression between the placenta and fetal plasma, which was higher than the maternal plasma. We also identified 5 distinct groups of trophoblastic miRNAs with different expression patterns in each compartment. DiscussionThis is the first comprehensive analysis of C19MC and C14MC miRNA expression patterns in the human placental, maternal and fetal compartments. Our findings suggest that C14MC miRNAs are produced by both the fetus and placenta, but C19MC miRNAs are produced primarily in the placenta and are trafficked to the fetal and maternal compartments.

BotSpot: fast graph based identification of structured P2P bots

An essential component of a botnet is the Command and Control (C2) channel (a network). The mechanics of C2 establishment often involve the use of structured overlay techniques which create a scaffolding for sophisticated coordinated activities. However, it can also be used as a point of detection because of their distinct communication patterns. Achieving this is a needle-in-a-haystack search problem across distributed vantage points. The search technique must be efficient given the high traffic throughput of modern core routers. In this paper, we focus on efficient algorithms for C2 channel detection. Experimental results on real Internet traffic traces from an ISP’s backbone network indicate that our techniques, (i) have time complexity linear in the volume of traffic, (ii) have high F-measure, and (iii) are robust to the partial visibility arising from partial deployment of monitoring systems, and measurement inaccuracies arising from partial visibility and dynamics of background traffic.

Verbal Communication in Doubles Tennis: An Analysis of Close Games

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in verbal communication between doubles tennis teams during close game situations. Verbal messages exchanged between team players were recorded by means of audiotapes and videotapes. Recorded communication data were coded and analyzed using the Discussion Analysis Tool software (DAT; Jeong, 2003). Results indicated that most of the verbal communication included action (i.e., 34%) and emotional statements (i.e., 34%). Winning teams communicated twice as many messages than losing teams. Specifically, during the close games they won, winning teams communicated significantly more than losing teams. Losing teams used more communication patterns in close games they won relative to the ones they lost. Winning and losing teams also used distinct communication patterns during the close games they won relative to the ones they lost. These distinct communication patterns may have in turn improved the winning teams’ coordination and thereby increased their likelihood of winning.

Distinct communication patterns during genetic counseling for late-onset Alzheimer's risk assessment

ObjectiveTo identify and characterize patient–provider communication patterns during disclosure of Alzheimer's disease genetic susceptibility test results and to assess whether these patterns reflect differing models of genetic counseling. Methods262 genetic counseling session audio-recordings were coded using the Roter Interactional Analysis System. Cluster analysis was used to distinguish communication patterns. Bivariate analyses were used to identify characteristics associated with the patterns. ResultsThree patterns were identified: Biomedical-Provider-Teaching (40%), Biomedical-Patient-Driven (34.4%), and Psychosocial-Patient-Centered (26%). Psychosocial-Patient-Centered and Biomedical-Provider-Teaching sessions included more female participants while the Biomedical-Patient-Driven sessions included more male participants (p=0.04). ConclusionCommunication patterns observed reflected the teaching model primarily, with genetic counseling models less frequently used. The emphasis on biomedical communication may potentially be at the expense of more patient-centered approaches. Practice implicationsTo deliver more patient-centered care, providers may need to better balance the ratio of verbal exchange with their patients, as well as their educational and psychosocial discussions. The delineation of these patterns provides insights into the genetic counseling process that can be used to improve the delivery of genetic counseling care. These results can also be used in future research designed to study the association between patient-centered genetic counseling communication and improved patient outcomes.

What Are Parents Really Saying When They Talk With Their Children About Sexuality?

Twenty parents attending an urban community college were interviewed about how they respond to common questions children ask about sexuality. Parental responses to children's questions about sexuality were considered in relation to the authoritative and authoritarian patterns of communication identified by Baumrind (1967). The majority of parents were labeled authoritarian based on their responses to five common sexuality topics. Themes that emerged from the qualitative analysis included cultural and religious influences, distinct communication patterns, a focus on specific issues such as HIV/AIDS and sexual orientation, lack of parental knowledge of sexuality, support of school sexuality education, and lack of books and resources.

Communication patterns in VANETs

Vehicular networks are a very promising technology to increase traffic safety and efficiency, and to enable numerous other applications in the domain of vehicular communication. Proposed applications for VANETs have very diverse properties and often require nonstandard communication protocols. Moreover, the dynamics of the network due to vehicle movement further complicates the design of an appropriate comprehensive communication system. In this article we collect and categorize envisioned applications from various sources and classify the unique network characteristics of vehicular networks. Based on this analysis, we propose five distinct communication patterns that form the basis of almost all VANET applications. Both the analysis and the communication patterns shall deepen the understanding of VANETs and simplify further development of VANET communication systems.