University Research Fund Research Articles

Helping the ‘Helping hands’: supporting Māori postgraduates to advance community aspirations for environmental research

ABSTRACT Postgraduate research is complex enough, but Indigenous students face unique challenges and additional expectations. For instance, they are often strongly motivated for their tertiary education to support their community’s aspirations but distanced from those communities. We are wāhine (women) Māori researchers working to restore various local, natural environments in alignment with our iwi/hapū (tribe/subtribe) interests. We all gained funding to support this work through contestable postgraduate scholarships or research revenue, enjoying a high level of autonomy to design projects, under incentives designed to support Māori capability and potential. Using digital collective autoethnography, we reflected upon and articulated how our iwi/hapū and whānau (family) aspirations shaped our study and research, and how university and external research funding supported these pursuits. Through these narratives, we highlight the driving influence of iwi/community aspirations, consider how universities and the research sector currently align with these, identify barriers, and finally discuss what deep tautoko (support) looks like. We also reflect on how our postgraduate experiences and learnings have influenced and guided our subsequent work. Our collective experiences encompass potentially transformative approaches in community-driven, publicly funded, tertiary research; so, we finish by identifying specific mechanisms that could amplify these approaches.

Regional economic impact of university research expenditures

ABSTRACT Governments around the world provide significant funds for research activities at higher education institutions. Despite universities’ increased emphasis on external research funds and increased national funding for university research, little is known about the economic impacts specific to research expenditures. We use IMPLAN, an input-output model, to analyze the local economic impacts of externally sponsored university research expenditures in two geographic areas using a technological university in the Midwestern United States as a case study. For the rural micropolitan area, we find that one million dollars in university external research expenditures is associated with $711,000 in value added, 10 jobs, and $159,000 in tax revenue. The effects per million dollars of expenditures are typically larger in the medium metropolitan area; one million dollars in university external research expenditures is associated with $945,000 in value added, 9 jobs, and $164,000 in tax revenue. We also estimate value added, employment, and tax multipliers of 1.67, 1.86, and 1.74 for the micropolitan area and 2.02, 2.25, and 2.09 in the medium metropolitan area. Last, we show that 15-18% of generated tax revenue goes to the state and 75–77% goes to the federal government. Our results highlight the local and statewide economic returns to national public policy to invest in university research activities and how characteristics of the local economy influence the magnitude of those returns. The variation in the impacts also suggests that policy makers should be aware of differences across both geographic areas and impact measures (e.g. employment versus output).

The Physiological and Perceptual Responses During Acute Heat Stress Following Alcohol Consumption

Introduction: Alcohol consumption has been suggested to increase the risk of heat-related injury during heat waves, however, current evidence remains inconclusive on the underlying mechanisms. The purpose of the proposed study was to investigate whether alcohol consumption would alter physiological and perceptual responses during heat stress relative to a volume matched placebo. Methods: 5 participants (2 females 25.2±7.8 y; 77.9±23.1 kg; 1.7±0.2 m) have completed two experimental trials presented in random order on separate days. Participants voided their bladder upon arrival to the lab, were instrumented and entered a climate room maintained at 40°C & 25%RH, completed a 20 minute baseline to equilibrate with the environment, and then consumed either i) an alcoholic beverage (ALC, orange juice and 80-proof gin) suffcient to target a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 mg/ml, or ii) a volume matched placebo (PLA, orange juice and tonic) over 30 minutes, and rested for an additional 120 minutes in the heat. Blood alcohol concentration, core and mean skin temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, thermal comfort, and thermal sensation were assessed before beverage consumption, and every 30 minutes thereafter. Urine production was calculated as the sum of all micturition during and immediately following the heat exposure. Whole-body sweat loss was calculated as the net difference in mass following the 120-min heat exposure accounting for urine output. Results: No differences were observed at baseline for core temperature (PLA: 37.0±0.3°C, ALC: 36.9±0.2°C, P=0.12), heart rate (PLA: 82±10 BPM, ALC: 81±12 BPM, P=0.89), mean arterial pressure (PLA: 95±5 mmHg, ALC: 97±9 mmHg, P=0.61), and thermal comfort (P=0.21) and sensation (P>0.55). Blood alcohol concentration was 0.10±0.02 mg/ml at 30 minutes following alcohol consumption, and remained elevated at 120-min (0.09±0.01 mg/ml). Throughout heat exposure, core (P>0.49) and mean skin (P>0.61) temperature were not different between PLA and ALC. Thermal comfort was not different between PLA and ALC throughout heat exposure (P≥0.16), however a reduced thermal sensation was observed with ALC compared to PLA at 120-min (P=0.02). Heart rate was higher with ALC compared to PLA at 60-min (ALC: 94±12 BPM, PLA: 88±10 BPM, p<0.02), and remained higher with ALC compared to PLA throughout the remaining heat exposure (p<0.001). Mean arterial pressure was lower at 30-min with ALC (86±10 mmHg) compared to PLA (98±5 mmHg, p<0.001), and remained lower with ALC throughout heat exposure (p<0.001). Urine production was not different between PLA (559±254 ml) and ALC (681±101 ml, P=0.32). Whole-body sweat losses were not different between PLA (398±161 g) and ALC (477±242 g, P =0.52). Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that the consumption of alcohol does not alter whole-body sweating, core and skin temperature, thermal comfort, and urine production during acute heat stress. However, relative to placebo, alcohol consumption increased heart rate and reduced mean arterial pressure during acute heat stress, and reduced thermal sensation. This research was supported by Dr. Ravanelli’s Lakehead University Research Funding and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant (PIN#2022-05096). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Teaching Scientific Integrity in Academia: What and How Students Want to Learn?

AbstractTraining in scientific integrity continues to be an important topic in universities and other research institutions. Its main goal is to prevent scientific misconduct and promote good scientific practice. However, there is still no consensus on how scientific integrity should be taught. Moreover, the perspective of those who receive such training is often underrepresented. Yet it is precisely their interests and needs that must be considered when developing educational programs. Against this backdrop, we conducted a mixed-methods study with the goal of capturing students’ perspectives on the teaching of scientific integrity. Using our online Scientific Integrity course, we explore what specific aspects of digital teaching on scientific integrity are valued, and explore other topics of interest from students’ perspectives on scientific integrity. The article presents (1) students’ self-assessment before (Q1) and after (Q2) taking the online Scientific Integrity course at the RWTH Aachen University in Germany (2) students’ feedback on the course format, video, exam, organization, and support (Q2) (3) a list of other topics of interest in the area of scientific integrity (Q2). The research outcomes demonstrate an improvement in the study participants’ self-assessment after following the online course and there is a general satisfaction among the students in regard to the course digital format and its components although a desire to have more exchange and discussion was expressed. Further topics of interest in the area of scientific integrity that study participants would like to learn about have a practical appeal and among others include research pressure, examples of applications, preventive measures, theory of science, citation rules, funding of university research. Although the results relate to our course, they provide insight into students’ perspectives on online teaching of scientific integrity. Thus, they may be helpful to higher education institutions developing online courses on scientific integrity that are tailored to university students.

Accuracy of the tuberculosis molecular bacterial load assay to diagnose and monitor response to anti-tuberculosis therapy: a longitudinal comparative study with standard-of-care smear microscopy, Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra, and culture in Uganda

In 2018, the tuberculosis molecular bacterial load assay (TB-MBLA), a ribosomal RNA-based test, was acknowledged by WHO as a molecular assay that could replace smear microscopy and culture for monitoring tuberculosis treatment response. In this study, we evaluated the accuracy of TB-MBLA for diagnosis and monitoring of treatment response in comparison with standard-of-care tests. For this longitudinal prospective study, patients aged 18 years or older with presumptive tuberculosis (coughing for at least 2 weeks, night sweats, and weight loss) were enrolled at China-Uganda Friendship Hospital Naguru (Kampala, Uganda). Participants were evaluated for tuberculosis by TB-MBLA in comparison with Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert-Ultra) and smear microscopy, with Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) culture as a reference test. Participants who were positive on Xpert-Ultra were enrolled on a standard 6-month anti-tuberculosis regimen, and monitored for treatment response at weeks 2, 8, 17, and 26 after initiation of treatment and then 3 months after treatment. Between Nov 15, 2019, and June 15, 2022, 210 participants (median age 35 years [IQR 27-44]) were enrolled. 135 (64%) participants were male and 72 (34%) were HIV positive. The pretreatment diagnostic sensitivities of TB-MBLA and Xpert-Ultra were similar (both 99% [95% CI 95-100]) but the specificity was higher for TB-MBLA (90%[83-96]) than for Xpert-Ultra (78% [68-86]). Ten participants were Xpert-Ultra trace positive, eight (80%) of whom were negative by TB-MBLA and MGIT culture. Smear microscopy had lower diagnostic sensitivity (75%[65-83]) but higher specificity (98% [93-100]) than TB-MBLA and Xpert-Ultra. Among participants who were smear microscopy negative, the sensitivity of TB-MBLA was 96% (95 CI 80-100) and was 100% (95% CI 86-100) in those who were HIV positive. 129 (61%) participants were identified as tuberculosis positive by Xpert-Ultra and these individuals were enrolled in the treatment group and monitored for treatment response. According to TB-MBLA, 19 of these patients cleared bacillary load to zero by week 2 of treatment and remained negative throughout the 6-month treatment follow-up. Positivity for tuberculosis decreased with treatment as measured by all tests, but therate was slower with Xpert-Ultra. Consequently, 31 (33%) of 95 participants were still Xpert-Ultra positive at the end of treatment but were clinically well and negative on TB-MBLA and culture at 6 months of treatment. Two patients were still Xpert-Ultra positive with a further 3 months of post-treatment follow-up. The rate of conversion to negative of the DNA-based Xpert-Ultra was 3·3-times slower than that of the rRNA-based TB-MBLA. Consequently for the same patient, it would take 13 weeks and 52 weeks to reach complete tuberculosis negativity by TB-MBLA and Xpert-Ultra, respectively. Participants who were positive on smear microscopy at 8weeks, who received an extra month of intensive treatment, had a similar TB-MBLA-measured bacillary load at 8weeks to those who were smear microscopy negative. TB-MBLA has a similar performance to Xpert-Ultra for pretreatment diagnosis of tuberculosis, but is more accurate at detecting and characterising the response to treatment than Xpert-Ultra and standard-of-care smear microscopy. European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund, US National Institutes of Health.

Do labor unions enhance corporate social performance? Evidence from Korean financial markets

This study examines the impact of labor unionization on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in South Korean listed companies, particularly in the context of chaebol-affiliated firms. Using a dataset of 2,622 firm-year observations between 2005 and 2009, the study employs regression analyses to explore the relationship between unionization and CSR performance. Key findings indicate a significant negative correlation between labor unionization and CSR engagement, suggesting that unionized firms exhibit less involvement in CSR activities. This association, however, is not significant in chaebol-affiliated firms, where the unique corporate structure and shared resources appear to mitigate the influence of labor unions on CSR. Furthermore, the study reveals a positive link between CSR initiatives and labor productivity in unionized firms, indicating that CSR may enhance employee efficiency. The study highlights the intricate relationships between labor unionization, corporate governance, and CSR, particularly in the context of Korean business conglomerates. It emphasizes the importance of aligning labor interests with CSR commitments and underscores the role of effective corporate governance in promoting CSR activities. The positive impact of CSR on labor productivity underscores its potential in boosting employee performance. AcknowledgmentThis work was supported by the Gachon University research fund of 2023. (GCU-202303770001).

Status and trends of biological control research, extension, and education in the United States

Abstract The number of public-sector biological control scientists and practitioners in the United States was determined by a survey conducted in 2019. A total of 344 personnel were identified in 49 states and Washington DC; 218 employed by universities, 86 by the federal government and 36 by state departments of agriculture. There were 10-34 personnel in eight states, 6-9 in 11, and 0-5 in 31, overall averaging less than 50% of their combined effort on biological control. Applications for biological control agents included about 30% for row crops and vegetables; 12% each for orchards, urban landscapes, outdoor ornamentals, and forests; and 22% for the remainder. The federal government provided an average of 42% of the funding for university, federal, and state biological control research and extension. The states contributed 29-35%, commodity groups supplied 19-24%, and the remaining funds were from private sources. Of 54 universities in the United States, 18 conducted in-person classroom education and training in biological control, with seven offering courses via distance. However, another 18 universities had discontinued their comprehensive courses. Biological control instruction was incorporated into courses and workshops on integrated pest management and sustainable agriculture at 50 universities. Correspondingly, during the past 24 years, biological control has gradually developed from primarily an independent discipline to increasingly being part of integrated pest management. Classical, augmentative and conservation biological control have nevertheless remained distinguishable high priority subdisciplines. Funding continues to be essential for advancing biological control, requiring societal understanding and acceptance. Advancement of biological control in the United States will require increased investment in personnel and their education and training, along with delivery of effective pest management technologies.

Construction of Intelligent Financial Supervision Mechanism for Colleges and Universities Based on RPA Technology

Abstract The RPA financial monitoring mechanism utilizes a predictive model to capture and store university data in preprocessing, and adopts a decision tree algorithm to construct a specific predictive model with good classification ability, and its logical structure is very similar to the decision-making ideas of human beings in the natural environment. CNN-LSTM financial risk assessment model is also utilized to carry out scientific risk assessment, the output of CNN is used as the input of LSTM, combining the advantages of the two to improve the learning ability of the financial fraud risk assessment model, and dynamic early warning can be accomplished beforehand for potential risk points. By analyzing the accuracy and coverage of the financial violation prediction model, 10.28% of violations were found with 96.7% accuracy. The accuracy is lower when the proportion of financial violations is higher. Risk assessment of fundraising activities and working capital of universities can be found that Z private universities have a relatively single source of income, tuition income is dominant, and in 2019, 2020 and 2022, the proportion of constructive expenditures of Z private universities reaches more than 20%, while the expenses of scientific research costs are less, however, the university’s comprehensive early warning status is relatively good. The financial risk is not significant and is in a safer range. In the university research fund violation supervision, the weight of researchers still have balance funds after two years after the completion of the project is 0.073, which indicates that the research project fund management supervision is not in place.

0078 Subjective but not objective sleep predicts morning motivation to complete more difficult tasks

Abstract Introduction Sleep deprivation impairs many facets of behavior, including performance at tasks. People may perform less efficiently at tasks due to impairments to cognitive processes like working memory following sleep deprivation. However, research shows that compensatory activity occurs when participants are sleep deprived and are faced with difficult tasks (Horne & Pettitt, 1985). This study explored participants’ capability and motivation of completing tasks of varying difficulties. Methods These data come from a larger study investigating bedroom environment, sleep, and cognition. In this study participants were given an actigraph wgt3x and were told to sleep as they normally would for three-day period. Each morning, participants took a brief survey and cognitive battery shortly after waking. In the survey, participants self-reported their sleep quality from the previous night using a modified version of the sleep disturbance subscale from the Medical Outcomes Survey (Hays et al., 2005). Additionally, a modified version of the Math Effort Task (MET; Engle Friedman et al., 2003) was used. Participants chose a difficulty and completed six simple addition problems without aid of a calculator or scratch paper. Data were cleaned and analyzed using generalized linear mixed effect modeling in SPSS 28. Results Two models were run to examine performance (accuracy) and difficulty choice on the MET. In our model predicting performance there were no significant predictors. In our model predicting the choice of difficulty, participants of more socially advantaged populations and those who reported better subjective sleep quality chose to complete harder problems (b = -.05, p = .01). No significant findings were observed between objective measures of sleep such as sleep efficiency and duration with difficulty chosen or performance. Conclusion Motivation to complete more difficult tasks may be related to the quality of sleep one receives during the previous night. The observed lack of difference in performance based on sleep suggest that when given simple problems, sleep deprivation does not impair cognitive performance or that people can compensate for poor sleep when the task is easy. Future studies should continue to explore the relationship between sleep and motivation. Support (if any) I/O small grant department funding, university research funding, and travel funding.

Research on the Contribution of Regional Import and Export Influential Factors Based on RBF Neural Network

Since the reform and opening up, the proportion of imports and exports in all provinces in China has increased to a great extent, and the total import and export volume is an important condition for reflecting the economic level of a region, and it is also one of the important influencing factors affecting economic growth. In the context of economic development, by analyzing what are the factors affecting import and export, the contribution of import and export to economic growth and the reasons for promoting economic development can be analyzed. Based on this, this paper selects Zhejiang Province as the research object, uses the data from 1990 to 2020, and uses the RBF neural network algorithm to analyze this series of data. In this paper, multiple secondary indicators are selected from the five perspectives of population, industrial structure, economic development level, currency, and science and technology, and RBF training is carried out, and it is found that when the model parameter is 19, the model accuracy converges and the algorithm reaches the optimal value. According to the algorithm results, we conclude that the methods to increase the total import and export volume of the region include implementing an expansionary fiscal policy and increasing the total budget expenditure; Increase research and development funding, such as university research funding and talent subsidies; Increase industrial output value, such as providing assistance and subsidies to industrial enterprises for export orientation.

The role of umbilical artery Doppler analysis in estimating perinatal morbidity and mortality in hypertensive pregnancy

Aims: Uteroplacental (uterine artery systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratio) and fetal circulation changes (umbilical artery pulsatility Index (PI) value) can be evaluated non-invasively by using Doppler ultrasonography spectral analysis. The present study aimed to demonstrate how Doppler ultrasonography should be combined with classical well-being tests to detect perinatal morbidity and mortality in hypertensive pregnancy. Methods: This prospective research was carried out with 88 pregnant women diagnosed with high-risk pregnancy and hypertension between April 1992 and May 1994. A non-stress test (NST) was performed in all cases, and fetal distress was evaluated by a biophysical profile (BP) and/or a contraction stress test (CST) subsequent to a non-reactive NST. Following the diagnosis of hypertension, longitudinal maternal (uterine artery) and fetal (umbilical artery) Doppler analyses were initiated at 7–10-day intervals. In the study, the Acuson 128 XP 10 device (Research project No. 515/080555592 was funded by the İstanbul University Research Fund) and a 3.5-5 MHz curvilinear probe were used. No Doppler pathology was considered solely in the timing of delivery. Results: There was no case of perinatal loss, antepartum and intrapartum fetal distress, neonatal asphyxia, and oligohydramnios in the group with normal uterine and umbilical artery Doppler analyses. There was one case with umbilical artery Doppler flow pathology only, which was delivered by preterm cesarean section with the diagnosis of antepartum fetal distress. Fetus diagnosed to have a fetal growth restriction (FGR) and the findings of fetal distress, FGR, and cesarean delivery were concordant with the literature. There was also increased perinatal mortality (9.1%) among patients with pathological uterine artery Doppler and normal umbilical artery Doppler group, but there was no case of oligohydramnios in this group and the rate of neonatal asphyxia (5.min Apgar score <7) was 21.7%. The antepartum loss was 27%, the neonatal loss was 23.8%, and perinatal mortality was 44.8% in the group with pathological uterine and umbilical artery Doppler findings, and this group had all cases of oligohydramnios. Conclusion: Overall, it seems reasonable to identify any pathologies with Doppler ultrasonography in hypertensive pregnant women in the early pregnancy and to follow them up with classical fetal antepartum surveillance tests at appropriate intervals related to their umbilical artery Doppler pathologies.

Hormonal stimulation reduces numbers and impairs function of human uterine natural killer cells during implantation.

How does an altered maternal hormonal environment, such as that seen during superovulation with gonadotropins in ART, impact human uterine immune cell distribution and function during the window of implantation? Hormonal stimulation with gonadotropins alters abundance of maternal immune cells including uterine natural killer (uNK) cells and reduces uNK cell ability to promote extravillous trophoblast (EVT) invasion. An altered maternal hormonal environment, seen following ART, can lead to increased risk for adverse perinatal outcomes associated with disordered placentation. Maternal immune cells play an essential role in invasion of EVTs, a process required for proper establishment of the placenta, and adverse perinatal outcomes have been associated with altered immune cell populations. How ART impacts maternal immune cells and whether this can in turn affect implantation and placentation in humans remain unknown. A prospective cohort study was carried out between 2018 and 2021 on 51 subjects: 20 from natural cycles 8 days after LH surge; and 31 from stimulated IVF cycles 7 days after egg retrieval. Endometrial biopsies and peripheral blood samples were collected during the window of implantation in subjects with regular menstrual cycles or undergoing superovulation. Serum estradiol and progesterone levels were measured by chemiluminescent competitive immunoassay. Immune cell populations in blood and endometrium were analyzed using flow cytometry. uNK cells were purified using fluorescence-activated cell sorting and were subjected to RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Functional changes in uNK cells due to hormonal stimulation were evaluated using the implantation-on-a-chip (IOC) device, a novel bioengineered platform using human primary cells that mimics early processes that occur during pregnancy in a physiologically relevant manner. Unpaired t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and pairwise multiple comparison tests were used to statistically evaluate differences. Baseline characteristics were comparable for both groups. As expected, serum estradiol levels on the day of biopsy were significantly higher in stimulated (superovulated) patients (P = 0.0005). In the setting of superovulation, we found an endometrium-specific reduction in the density of bulk CD56+ uNK cells (P < 0.05), as well as in the uNK3 subpopulation (P = 0.025) specifically (CD103+ NK cells). In stimulated samples, we also found that the proportion of endometrial B cells was increased (P < 0.0001). Our findings were specific to the endometrium and not seen in peripheral blood. On the IOC device, uNK cells from naturally cycling secretory endometrium promote EVT invasion (P = 0.03). However, uNK cells from hormonally stimulated endometrium were unable to significantly promote EVT invasion, as measured by area of invasion, depth of invasion, and number of invaded EVTs by area. Bulk RNA-seq of sorted uNK cells from stimulated and unstimulated endometrium revealed changes in signaling pathways associated with immune cell trafficking/movement and inflammation. Patient numbers utilized for the study were low but were enough to identify significant overall population differences in select immune cell types. With additional power and deeper immune phenotyping, we may detect additional differences in immune cell composition of blood and endometrium in the setting of hormonal stimulation. Flow cytometry was performed on targeted immune cell populations that have shown involvement in early pregnancy. A more unbiased approach might identify changes in novel maternal immune cells not investigated in this study. We performed RNA-seq only on uNK cells, which demonstrated differences in gene expression. Ovarian stimulation may also impact gene expression and function of other subsets of immune cells, as well as other cell types within the endometrium. Finally, the IOC device, while a major improvement over existing in vitro methods to study early pregnancy, does not include all possible maternal cells present during early pregnancy, which could impact functional effects seen. Immune cells other than uNK cells may impact invasion of EVTs in vitro and in vivo, though these remain to be tested. These findings demonstrate that hormonal stimulation affects the distribution of uNK cells during the implantation window and reduces the proinvasive effects of uNK cells during early pregnancy. Our results provide a potential mechanism by which fresh IVF cycles may increase risk of disorders of placentation, previously linked to adverse perinatal outcomes. Research reported in this publication was supported by the University of Pennsylvania University Research Funding (to M.M.), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P50HD068157 to M.M., S.S., and S.M.), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (TL1TR001880 to J.K.), the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute (to S.M.G.), and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (K08AI151265 to S.M.G.). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. All authors declare no conflict of interest. N/A.

Letter to the Editor: Can sexagenarian donors be feasibly indicated for living donor liver transplantation?

Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan Abbreviations: LDLT, living donor liver transplantation Funding: This research was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant numbers JP21K08718, JP21K8805), The Jikei University Research Fund, a Research Grant from the Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund, and the Uehara Memorial Foundation. Running title: LDLT using sexagenarian donors Category: letter to the editor Correspondence Toru Ikegami, MD, Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8, Nishi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan. Email: [email protected]

MP41-02 TUMOR SIZE IS ASSOCIATED WITH GROWTH KINETICS IN SMALL RENAL MASSES ON ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP41-02 TUMOR SIZE IS ASSOCIATED WITH GROWTH KINETICS IN SMALL RENAL MASSES ON ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE Maximilian Pallauf, Michael Rezaee, Roy Elias, Tina Wlajnitz, Sean A. Fletcher, Khalid Alkhatib, Peter Chang, Andrew A. Wagner, James M. McKiernan, Mohammad E. Allaf, Phillip M. Pierorazio, and Nirmish Singla Maximilian PallaufMaximilian Pallauf More articles by this author , Michael RezaeeMichael Rezaee More articles by this author , Roy EliasRoy Elias More articles by this author , Tina WlajnitzTina Wlajnitz More articles by this author , Sean A. FletcherSean A. Fletcher More articles by this author , Khalid AlkhatibKhalid Alkhatib More articles by this author , Peter ChangPeter Chang More articles by this author , Andrew A. WagnerAndrew A. Wagner More articles by this author , James M. McKiernanJames M. McKiernan More articles by this author , Mohammad E. AllafMohammad E. Allaf More articles by this author , Phillip M. PierorazioPhillip M. Pierorazio More articles by this author , and Nirmish SinglaNirmish Singla More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003279.02AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Active surveillance (AS) is an accepted treatment strategy for small renal masses (SRM) <4 cm. Intervention is recommended for SRMs exceeding growth rates (GR) of 0.5 cm/year. We sought to identify clinical factors predictive of GR >0.5 cm/year for SRM on AS. METHODS: We queried the prospective, multi-institutional Delayed Intervention and Surveillance for SRM (DISSRM) registry for patients enrolled in AS. We tabulated clinical factors, including age, sex, and tumor size, and quantified GRs of SRMs between study enrollment and delayed intervention, metastasis, death, or last follow-up, whichever occurred first. GR was defined by the change in tumor size over time between the first and latest imaging. We defined growth progression as a GR in excess of 0.5 cm/year. We used recurrent-event multivariable Cox-regression modeling to test the associations between clinical factors and growth progression; age and tumor size were handled as time-varying covariates. Tumor size was tested as a continuous and dichotomized variable based on a cutoff of 2 cm, endorsed by the AUA guidelines. To account for GR variability within the first few months of AS, we excluded follow-up visits earlier than six months. RESULTS: Between 2009 and 2022, 591 patients were initially enrolled onto AS within the DISSRM registry, of whom 332 were on AS for at least six months. The median follow-up time of patients who continued AS was 4.0 years (IQR 2.6-6.1). Sixty-six patients (20%) exhibited growth progression, but no patient developed metastatic disease. Fifty patients (15%) underwent delayed intervention. While age and sex were not associated with growth progression, tumor size was an independent predictor of growth progression on multivariable analysis (HR 2.61 (95% CI 2.16-3.15), p<0.001). On dichotomization of tumor size, we found that tumors ≥ 2 cm were significantly associated with growth progression compared to those <2 cm (HR 4.29 (95% CI 2.43-7.61), p<0.001) (Figure). The mean GR for tumors ≥ 2 cm was 0.21 cm/year (±0.31) vs. 0.06 cm/year (±0.26) for those <2 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Larger tumor size is independently associated with clinically meaningful growth progression (GR >0.5 cm/year) for SRMs on AS. Identifying clinical factors predictive of growth kinetics for SRMs is important to guide patient counseling by informing personalized strategies of AS versus intervention. Source of Funding: This publication was made possible by the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) which is funded in part by Grant Number UL1 TR003098 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the Johns Hopkins ICTR, NCATS or NIH.Pallauf M gratefully acknowledges the support of the Paracelsus Medical University Research and Innovation Fund (2022-FIRE-004-Pallauf). © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e554 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Maximilian Pallauf More articles by this author Michael Rezaee More articles by this author Roy Elias More articles by this author Tina Wlajnitz More articles by this author Sean A. Fletcher More articles by this author Khalid Alkhatib More articles by this author Peter Chang More articles by this author Andrew A. Wagner More articles by this author James M. McKiernan More articles by this author Mohammad E. Allaf More articles by this author Phillip M. Pierorazio More articles by this author Nirmish Singla More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

More Is Required of Us: Complicating an Ontology of Experience at the Heart of Community-Based Research

More Is Required of Us: Complicating an Ontology of Experience at the Heart of Community-Based Research

Cutting the Innovation Engine: How Federal Funding Shocks Affect University Patenting, Entrepreneurship, and Publications

AbstractThis article studies how federal funding affects the innovation outputs of university researchers. We link person-level research grants from 22 universities to patents, publications, and career outcomes from the U.S. Census Bureau. We focus on the effects of large, idiosyncratic, and temporary cuts to federal funding in a researcher’s preexisting narrow field of study. Using an event study design, we document that these negative federal funding shocks reduce high-tech entrepreneurship and publications but increase patenting. The lost publications tend to be higher quality and more basic, whereas the additional patents tend to be lower quality, less general, and more often privately assigned. These federal funding cuts lead to an increase in private funding, which partially compensates for the decline in federal funding. Together with evidence from industry-university contracts, the results suggest that federal funding cuts shift university research funding from federal to private sources and lead to innovation outputs that are less openly accessible and more often appropriated by corporate funders.

Selection bias in a male-offspring cohort investigating fecundity: is there reason for concern?

Is there risk of selection bias in etiological studies investigating prenatal risk factors of poor male fecundity in a cohort of young men? The risk of selection bias is considered limited despite a low participation rate. Participation rates in studies relying on volunteers to provide a semen sample are often very low. Many risk factors for poor male fecundity are associated with participation status, and as men with low fecundity may be more inclined to participate in studies of semen quality, a risk of selection bias exists. A population-based follow-up study of 5697 young men invited to the Fetal Programming of Semen Quality (FEPOS) cohort nested within the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC), 1998-2019. Young men (age range: 18 years, 9 months to 21 years, 4 months) born 1998-2000 by mothers included in the DNBC were invited to participate in FEPOS. In total, 1173 men answered a survey in FEPOS (n = 115 participated partly); of those, 1058 men participated fully by also providing a semen and a blood sample at a clinical visit. Differential selection according to parental baseline characteristics in the first trimester, the sons' own characteristics from the FEPOS survey, and urogenital malformations and diseases in reproductive organs from the Danish registers were investigated using logistic regression. The influence of inverse probability of selection weights (IPSWs) to investigate potential selection bias was examined using a predefined exposure-outcome association of maternal smoking in the first trimester (yes, no) and total sperm count analysed using adjusted negative binomial regression. A multidimensional bias analysis on the same association was performed using a variety of bias parameters to assess different scenarios of differential selection. Participation differed according to most parental characteristics in first trimester but did not differ according to the prevalence of a urogenital malformation or disease in the reproductive organs. Associations between maternal smoking in the first trimester and male fecundity were similar when the regression models were fitted without and with IPSWs. Adjusting for other potential risk factors for poor male fecundity, maternal smoking was associated with 21% (95% CI: -32% to -9%) lower total sperm count. In the bias analysis, this estimate changed only slightly under realistic scenarios. This may be extrapolated to other exposure-outcome associations. We were unable to directly assess markers of male fecundity for non-participants from, for example an external source and therefore relied on potential proxies of fecundity. We did not have sufficient power to analyse associations between prenatal exposures and urogenital malformations. The results are reassuring when using this cohort to identify causes of poor male fecundity. The results may be generalized to other similar cohorts. As the young men grow older, they can be followed in the Danish registers, as an external source, to examine, whether participation is associated with the risk of having an infertility diagnosis. The project was funded by the Lundbeck Foundation (R170-2014-855), the Capital Region of Denmark, Medical doctor Sofus Carl Emil Friis and spouse Olga Doris Friis's Grant, Axel Muusfeldt's Foundation (2016-491), AP Møller Foundation (16-37), the Health Foundation, Dagmar Marshall's Fond, Aarhus University and Independent Research Fund Denmark (9039-00128B). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. N/A.

First report of Colletotrichum fioriniae causing anthracnose on the fruit of omija (schisandra) in South Korea.

Omija or Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis Baillon) is one of Korea's most unique fruits and have been used in herbal medicine. It is also used for making cold drinks during summer and hot tea during winter. Among the different diseases, anthracnose poses great threat for omija production as it reduces the yield and market quality of fruits. In September 2021, severe anthracnose symptoms were observed in some commercial farmer fields (36°36'14.9"N 127°59'31.3"E) in Mungyeong and disease incidence was approximately 30 to 35%. The symptoms on fruits were manifested as small sunken lesions. The presumed fungi were isolated from necrotic tissues on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and purified using the single spore isolation technique (Cai et al. 2009; Hassan et al.2019). A total of 20 morphological similar isolates were obtained from 18 sampled fruits. The cultures were incubated at 25°C in the dark for 5 to 7 days. The colonies were pink with white aerial mycelium on the upper side and pink with black zones on the reverse. All the colonies produced fusiform conidia measuring 12.7 to 17.5 × 4.7 to 7.4 μm (n=50). The appressoria were brown, globose to ellipsoid and measuring 6.3 to 12 × 5.9 to 9.7 μm (n=30). Morphological characteristics of present isolates were in concordance with that of Colletotrichum acutatum sensu lato (Damm et al., 2012). For molecular identification, genomic DNA of five representative isolates was extracted for sequencing of target markers and the phylogenetic tree was constructed. For amplification and sequencing of internal transcribed spacers (ITS), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), actin (ACT) chitin synthase-1 (CHS-1), histone 3 (HIS3) and beta-tubulin (TUB2), the primer pairs ITS1/ITS4, GDF1/GDR1, ACT-512F/ACT-783R, CHS1-79F/CHS-1-354R, CYLH3F /CYLH3R and BT2a /BT2b were used respectively (Damm et al., 2012). The resulting sequences were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers LC680890 to LC680914 and LC687627 to LC687631. The maximum likelihood tree based on concatenated sequences of the five genes shows that present isolates were grouped in the C. fioriniae. Pathogenicity on red schisandra fruits was confirmed using the two isolates OR1 and O59. Fruit clusters (20-30 fruits/ cluster) were surface sterilized by dipping them in 1% NaOCl for 3 minutes, rinsing in sterile distilled water, and placing them in a sterile plastic box containing moist paper tissues. All the fruits in each cluster were inoculated with 10 μl of 106 conidia/ml suspensions of each isolate by following either the wounded or un- wounded method (Hassan et al.2019). Fruit clusters treated with sterile distilled water served as a control. Three fruit clusters were inoculated per isolate for each method. With the wounding method, all the inoculated fruits showed typical anthracnose symptoms after 4 days of incubation at 25 ± 1°C in the dark, while the control and un- wounded fruits remained symptomless. This test was repeated twice. The species C. fioriniae were reisolated from the infected fruit. The morphology and ITS sequences of the reisolated fungi were consistent with the original one, fulfilling Koch's postulates. The species C. fioriniae have been described as a causal agent of anthracnose of numerous hosts worldwide including South Korea (Damm et al., 2012; Hassan et al.2019; Oo et al. 2016; Lee et al. 2020). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. fioriniae as causal agent of omija anthracnose in South Korea. As this disease results in deterioration of fruits quality, management practices should be tailored to address C. fioriniae management. Acknowledgments This research was supported by Kyungpook National University Research Fund, 2021. References Cai, L., et al. 2009. Fungal Divers. 39:183. Damm, U., et al. 2012. Stud. Mycol. 73:37. Hassan, O., et al. 2019. Sci. Rep. 9:12089. Lee, D., et al. 2020. Mycobiology. 48: 210. Oo, M.M., et al. 2016. Mycobiology. 44: 325.

Factors associated wıth survival of patients with cardiac transplantation

Aim: Heart transplantation is currently considered the optimal surgical approach for the treatment of refractory heart failure, as it offers a higher likelihood of survival as well as significant improvements to quality of life. We aim to identify factors that relate to post-transplantation survival among patients who received a cardiac transplantation. Material and Methods: We retrospectively included all cardiac transplant recipients who underwent cardiac transplant operations at the Başkent University Faculty of Medicine between February 1, 2003 and December 1, 2019. We examined various demographic and clinical factors. This study was approved by the Başkent University Medical and Health Sciences Research Board (Project no KA20 / 326) and supported by the Başkent University Research Fund. The principles of the Declaration of Helsinki were complied with during the study. Results: A total of 99 patients were involved in the study. The mean age was 41.65 ± 14.89 years. The underlying cardiac condition for cardiac transplantation was ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy in 20 patients (20.2%),non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy in 66 patients (66.7%),restrictive cardiomyopathy in five patients (5.1%),myocarditis in one patient (1.0%),and another cause in seven patients (7.1%). Binary logistic regression analysis indicates that transplant rejection was the sole independent predictor of mortality. Conclusion: The survival of cardiac transplant recipients is significantly correlated to transplant rejection and patient age. However, we observed a significant correlation between survival status and hyperlipoproteinemia. Furthermore, the mortality rates among patients with cellular, humoral, and cellular-humoral diseases were found to be lower than the mortality rate of patients without rejection. KEYWORDS: heart transplantation; transplantation; graft rejection; survival; heart failure; mortality

P17.10: Effect of Factor H on Complement Alternative Pathway Activation in Human Serum Remains on Porcine Cells Lacking N-Glycolylneuraminic Acid

Background: Triple knockout (TKO) donor pigs lacking alpha-1,3-galactose (Gal), N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), and Sd(a) expressions were developed to improve the clinical success of xenotransplantation. Neu5Gc, a sialic acid expressed on cell surfaces, recruits factor H to protect cells from attack by the complement system. Lack of Neu5Gc expression may cause unwanted complement activation, abrogating the potential benefit of gene-modified donor pigs. To investigate whether TKO porcine cells display increased susceptibility to complement activation in human serum, pathway-specific complement activation, apoptosis, and human platelet aggregation by porcine cells were compared between alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase gene-knockout (GTKO) and TKO porcine cells. Methods: Primary porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pPBMCs) and endothelial cells (pECs) from GTKO and TKO pigs were used. Cells were incubated in human serum diluted in gelatin veronal buffer (GVB++) or Mg++-EGTA GVB, and C3 deposition and apoptotic changes in these cells were measured by flow cytometry. C3 deposition levels were also measured after incubating these cells in 10% human serum supplemented with human factor H. Platelet aggregation in human platelet-rich plasma containing GTKO or TKO pECs was analyzed. Results: The C3 deposition level in GTKO pPBMCs or pECs in GVB++ was significantly higher than that of TKO pPBMCs or pECs, respectively, but C3 deposition levels in Mg++-EGTA-GVB were comparable between them. The addition of factor H into the porcine cell suspension in 10% serum in Mg++ -EGTA-GVB inhibited C3 deposition in a dose-dependent manner, and the extent of inhibition by factor H was similar between GTKO and TKO porcine cells. The percentage of late apoptotic cells in porcine cell suspension in GVB++ increased with the addition of human serum, of which the net increase was significantly less in TKO pPBMCs than in GTKO pPBMCs. Finally, the lag time of platelet aggregation in recalcified human plasma was significantly prolonged in the presence of TKO pECs compared to that in the presence of GTKO pECs. Conclusion: TKO genetic modification protects porcine cells from serum-induced complement activation and apoptotic changes, and delays recalcification-induced human platelet aggregation. It does not hamper factor H recruitment on cell surfaces, allowing the suppression of alternative complement pathway activation. This work was carried out with the support of the “Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science and Technology Development [Project No. PJ015607 (HK and KO)], Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea. This research was partly supported by Hallym University Research Fund (HL).