Lab Group Research Articles

Li-Jie Cheng.

"My favorite thing about my lab group is when they discover some interesting results on their own… My favorite molecule is CO as this is an important C1 source in carbonylation reactions…" Find out more about Li-Jie Cheng in his Introducing… Profile.

Reflecting on the Origins of Subjective Experience.

The capacity to change with experience infuses our perceptions, thoughts, and actions in and about the past, present, and future. The cognitive system supporting this capacity for change can be exquisitely responsive to external events and yet can influence how those external events affect us. This interplay between the external and internal has been a major theme of my lab group's research. We proposed that the fundamental ambiguity of subjective experience requires ongoing reality monitoring processes for evaluating its veridicality and proposed a source monitoring framework for exploring the encoding, activation, and evaluation of information. We further proposed a functional architecture, a multiple-entry modular memory system, that characterizes component subprocesses of cognition that give rise to remembering and other subjective phenomena (e.g., knowledge, beliefs, emotion, consciousness, self). I first discuss these approaches and some issues they address and then describe some educational and professional experiences that provided opportunities to investigate this fascinating epistemological puzzle.

Demographic isolation and attitudes toward group work in student-selected lab groups.

Small group work has been shown to improve students' achievement, learning, engagement, and attitudes toward science. Previous studies that focused on different methods of group formation and their possible impacts mainly focused on measures of students' academic ability, such as GPA, SAT scores, and previous familiarity with course content. However little attention has been given to other characteristics such as students' social demographic identities in research about group formation and students' experiences. Here, we studied the criteria students use to form lab groups, examined how the degree of demographic isolation varies between student-selected and randomly-formed groups, and tested whether demographic isolation is associated with group work attitudes. We used a pre-post survey research design to examine students' responses in a large-enrollment biology laboratory course. Descriptive analyses showed that "students sitting next to me" (57%) followed by the combination of "students sitting next to me" and "friends" (22%) were the two most common criteria students reported that they considered when forming research groups. Notably, over 80 percent of students reported forming groups with those who sat nearby. We studied instances where students were isolated by being the only members of a historically marginalized population in their lab groups. The prevalence of demographic isolation in student-selected groups was found to be lower than in the simulated randomly assigned groups. We also used multilevel linear regression to examine whether being an isolated student was associated with attitudes about group work, yielding no consistent statistically significant effects. This study contributes to growing knowledge about the relationship between students' demographic isolation in groups and group work attitudes.

Adsorption of trace metals onto different plastics during long-term exposure in an estuarine environment: Influence of time, stratified water column, and specific surface area

The pervasive increase of plastics in marine systems and subsequent trace metals (TM) adsorption represents a critical environmental challenge. This long-term study is first to investigate how duration of exposure and stratified water column impact TM adsorption on various plastics in an estuary. We exposed polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) to estuarine conditions, categorizing them into three distinct groups to capture diverse human activities: pre-production pellets (Pellets), single-use plastics (SUP) and laboratory plastics (Lab). Plastic and water samples were analyzed before deployment and 1, 4, 7 and 16 months after deployment at three depths in the stratified Krka River estuary (Croatia). We measured TM concentrations, pH and salinity in the water column, and adsorbed TM amounts on plastics. Additionally, we examined plastic sample surfaces by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. TM speciation was modeled from water column data to better explain adsorption processes. Statistical analysis indicates that Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Co adsorption depends on both duration of exposure and stratified water column, while Cu is influenced solely by duration of exposure to estuarine environment. Adsorbed TM amounts varied significantly among the plastic groups (Pellets, SUP and Lab), but not among different polymer types (PP, PE, PET and FEP). A noteworthy observation was the difference in the results of statistical analysis when investigating TM amounts expressed by plastic sample mass and by plastic sample surface area. Results expressed by plastic sample mass showed a difference between SUP group versus Pellets and Lab groups, while results expressed by plastic sample surface area distinguished Pellets group compared to other two groups. Therefore, we suggest presenting TM adsorption results in similar studies both by plastic sample mass and by plastic sample surface area. This approach will improve the understanding of TM adsorption on plastics, and enable more effective comparisons among the scientific literature dealing with plastics of different specific surface areas.

Accuracy of immediately placed implants using surgical guides from different 3-dimensional printers: An in vitro study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of 3-dimensional (3D)-printed surgical guides for fully guided immediate implants from different manufacturers. Eighteen 3D printed fully guided surgical guides (split into 3 groups [n = 6] according to their manufacturer: Company, Desktop, or Lab), were used to place 72 implants (n = 24) in identical maxillary models. After placement, the mean global, angular, mesiodistal, buccopalatal, and vertical deviation at the platform and apex of the placed implants, relative to their preoperatively planned positions, was calculated. Significant differences in global apex deviation, angular deviation, mesiodistal apex deviation, and vertical platform and apex deviation were found between the Lab and Desktop groups (p ≤ 0.007). Significant differences in mesiodistal platform and apex deviation and buccopalatal apex deviation were also found between the Company and Desktop groups (p ≤ 0.005). Finally, significant differences in buccopalatal apex deviation, and vertical platform and apex deviation were found between the Company and Lab groups (p ≤ 0.003). Mean differences between guide groups across all parameters never exceeded 0.5 mm or 1°. The choice of 3D printer has a significant effect on the accuracy of fully guided immediate implants. However, the clinical relevance of these differences may be considered limited.

Bing Shan.

"My favorite thing about my lab group is that the group members are all supportive of each other … The most important future applications of my research are providing possible solutions for efficient photoelectrocatalytic and electrocatalytic devices …" Find out more about Bing Shan in her Introducing… Profile.

Qing-Hui Guo.

"My favorite structure is carbon schwarzite… My favorite thing about my lab group is the in-depth and thought-provoking communication with my students and postdocs during the weekly group meeting…" Find out more about Qing-Hui Guo in his Introducing… Profile.

Abstract 6002: Increased ferroptosis sensitivity and epithelial to mesenchymal transition of breast cancer cells overcoming chemotherapeutic mediated apoptotic caspase activation

Abstract The survival of cancer cells post chemotherapeutic treatment can lead to the presence of recurrent tumors and continues to be a barrier to effective cancer treatment. The majority of chemotherapeutics kill cells through the induction of executioner caspases and subsequent apoptotic death, and resistance to apoptosis can lead to the presence of anastatic cancer cells. Executioner caspase release was previously thought to be the point of no return from apoptotic cell death, however, it has been shown that removal of the reagent causing caspase release can lead to recovery of cells from apoptotic signaling, a phenomenon which has been termed ``Anastasis``. This presents a need for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind cancer cell survival and the mechanisms that lead to cell recovery and recurrent tumors. We have hypothesized that when treated with chemotherapeutics, some cells will evade cell death even when executioner caspases have been activated. By identifying surviving anastatic cells and the pathways involved in their evasion of cell death, we hope to propose novel therapeutic strategies to prevent their survival. The novel CasExpress system, developed by the Denise Montell lab group, was used to identify and isolate a population of cells surviving caspase-3 activation as a result of chemotherapeutic treatment in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) cell lines. The CasExpress system permanently labels these cells with GFP post caspase-3 activation. Analysis of this population of SUM159 anastatic cells, identified by their GFP expression, demonstrates that these cells have an increased resistance to further chemotherapeutic treatment, a decrease in levels of active caspase-3, an up-regulation of Cancer Stem Cell marker CD44, and a more mesenchymal phenotype. Furthermore, these “anastatic cells” express decreased levels of GPX-4, an enzyme that mitigates ferroptosis via lipid peroxide reduction, and are more sensitive to GPX-4 and xCT inhibitor mediated ferroptosis cell death.To investigate the link between Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) and ferroptosis mediated cell death, we used TGF-b to stimulate EMT in NMe mouse epithelial cells. We found that TGF-b induced EMT is associated with increased sensitivity to ferroptosis mediated by GPX-4 inhibition. Furthermore, the TGF-b induced EMT cells have a marked decrease in the expression of GPX4, similar to what was observed in the TNBC anastatic cells. These results indicate a potential link between EMT and an increased sensitivity to ferroptosis, and provide novel strategies for identifying and targeting chemotherapeutic resistant tumor cells. Citation Format: Rachel Hausman, Wells Brown, Paul McDonald, Shannon Awrey, Gongping Sun, Denise Montell, Shoukat Dedhar. Increased ferroptosis sensitivity and epithelial to mesenchymal transition of breast cancer cells overcoming chemotherapeutic mediated apoptotic caspase activation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 6002.

Martin Fascione.

"The most important factor in the choice of my current research topic was because it is an underexplored area of glycoscience partly due to a lack of appropriate methods, which provided us with an opportunity to develop novel chemistry tools which in turn would allow us to explore novel biology… My favorite thing about my lab group is that each member is unique and thinks about science in a different way." Find out more about Martin Fascione in his Introducing… Profile.

Rearticulating theory and methodology for perezhivanie and becoming

Taking up Lemke’s (2000) critical questions of how moments add up to lives and social life, we articulate theoretical and methodological frameworks for perezhivanie and becoming, challenging binaries that splinter entangled flows of perezhivanie into frozen categories. Working from a flat CHAT notion of assemblage to develop an ontology of moments, we stress consequentiality, arguing it emerges in intersections of embodied intensities (not only affective, but also indexical, intra-actional, and historic), the dispersed bio-cultural-historical weight of artifacts and practices, and dialogic resonances across moments. Methodologically, we take an ethico-onto-epistemological perspective to systematically study perezhivanie. The bio-ecological model of rich environments (centered around meaningful complexity, agency, and individual optimization) offers both a key framework for understanding becoming and a design framework for transdisciplinary realizations of ethico-onto-epistemological practice. We illustrate these frameworks with examples from four research projects: a university physics lab group doing and writing an experiment, a former pastor managing bipolar disorder and rejecting faith, a sustained social justice education program at a university, and intersections of aging policies, media representations, and stroke survival in Brazil. Finally, we argue that an ontology of moments centered on consequentiality can illuminate perezhivanie's relationship to becoming and that the model of enriched environments offers metrics to assess and design environments.

Marginal Fit and Internal Adaptation of Monolithic Zirconia 3-Unit Fixed Dental Prosthesis: In Vitro Study.

To compare the marginal and internal fit of monolithic zirconia (MZ) 3-unit fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) fabricated using two CAD/CAM workflows: full-chairside (FCH) and lab (LAB). The right maxillary first premolar and first molar were prepared for MZ 3-unit FDPs on a typodont. CEREC Primescan digitized the typodont model 15 Omes. A total of 30 FDPs was fabricated using two processes: FCH (n = 15) and LAB (n = 15). FCH and LAB FDPs were designed using CEREC SW 4.5.1 and Exocad and milled using CEREC MC X and Zirkonzhan 600/V3, respectively. A fast-sintering protocol was used in both groups. A dual-scan technique was used to assess the cement space at the occlusal surface (OC), axial wall (AX), and margin (MA). Statistical analysis of the results was performed using univariate ANOVA with Scheff. post hoc test (a = .05). Measurements in the FCH and LAB groups were within the clinically acceptable marginal and internal fit. The fit of FCH FDPs at MA, AX, and OC was 77.50 ± 29.99 μm, 99.67 ± 21.58 μm, and 150.03 ± 30.78 μm, respectively. The fit of LAB FDPs at MA, AX, and OC was 100.27 ± 27.06 μm, 116.53 ± 17.90 μm, and 142.30 ± 19.00 μm, respectively. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. MZ 3-unit FDPs fabricated using FCH have clinically acceptable marginal and internal fit. This result verifies the ability of FCH workflow to fabricate MZ mulOunit FDPs in a single visit.

Is Routine Post-operative Biological Laboratory Assessment Necessary After Sleeve Gastrectomy?

Incidence of post-operative complications after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is low. However, the early identification of these complications remains crucial. Here, we report the impact of routine laboratory monitoring for the early diagnosis of complications after SG. From January 2018 to December 2019, all consecutive patients who underwent primary SG (n = 457) were included. This was a comparative study of patients undergoing primary SG. Patients were divided into two groups: one group with routine laboratory monitoring performed at postoperative day (POD) 1 and 3 (LAB group) and another group without routine laboratory monitoring (control group). The study's primary endpoint was the overall impact of routine laboratory monitoring. The secondary endpoints were evaluation of patients with complications. The population in the two groups were similar in term of demographic and intra-operative data. There was a statistical difference between the two groups in term of length of stay (5.7days in the LAB group and 3.5days in the control group (p < 0.001)). There were 19 complications (6.0%) in the LAB group and 5 complications in the control group (3.5%) (p = 0.25). A cut-off C-reactive protein level of 46.3mg/l was found to be significant (p = 0.006). In the LAB group, 9 patients (2.9%) required readmission vs. three patients (2.0%) in the control group (p = 0.62). The interest of routine laboratory monitoring after SG seems limited. Routine laboratory monitoring alone is not associated with earlier diagnosis of complications. This routine monitoring is associated with an increase of stay in hospital.

Community of Interoperability Labs: Pragmatic Approach to Achieving Interoperability.

To achieve interoperability of health data, stakeholders must overcome various socio-technical challenges. The "Mind the GAPS, Fill the GAPS" framework was created by the Asia eHealth Information Network (AeHIN) in 2017 to help countries with their challenges with interoperability. A year later, AeHIN formed the Community of Interoperability Labs (COIL), a group of labs from six countries to share knowledge and resources. Since interoperability requires data exchange between disparate entities, it is imperative to establish a trustworthy space where stakeholders can come together and solve their common problems. The networked learning approach of the COIL makes possible the potential for interoperability within and between countries contributing to national and international understanding.

Lactic Acid Bacteria and Formic Acid Improve Fermentation Quality and Beneficial Predicted Functional Characteristics in Mixed Silage Consisting of Alfalfa and Perennial Ryegrass

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of additives on the fermentation properties of ensiled mixed alfalfa and perennial ryegrass silage in the karst terrain of Southwest China. A mixture of alfalfa and perennial ryegrass was ensiled at a ratio of 3:7 using three experimental treatments: (1) CK (without additives) and distilled water (5 mL kg−1 fresh weight (FW)); (2) FA and formic acid (88%) (5 mL kg−1 FW); and (3) LAB combined with the application of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lentilactobacillus buchneri (2 × 107 cfu/g FW). All samples were packed manually into polyethylene bags, and three polyethylene bags from each treatment were sampled on days 7, 15, and 45. The findings demonstrated that the pH values of all the mixed silages gradually decreased during ensiling. The lactic acid (LA) and acetic acid (AA) contents increased gradually with ensiling time and peaked after 45 days of ensiling. After 45 days of ensiling, the FA and LAB groups effectively preserved the nutrient content of the mixed silage, which presented a reduced neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber content (p &lt; 0.05) and higher water-soluble carbohydrate content (p &lt; 0.05) than the CK group. The fermentation quality of the mixed silages in the FA and LAB groups improved, as indicated by higher (p &lt; 0.05) LA contents and lower (p &lt; 0.05) pH and ammoniacal nitrogen contents after 45 days of ensiling compared to those in the CK group. As fermentation progressed, the abundance of harmful microorganisms (Hafnia obesumbacterium, Enterobacteriaceae, and Sphingomonas) and beneficial microorganisms (Lactiplantibacillus and Lentilactobacillus) decreased and increased, respectively. In addition, compared to those in the CK group, the FA group had higher abundances of “lipid metabolism” and “biosynthesis of antibiotics” and lower abundances of “membrane transport”. Briefly, the results of this study suggest that the incorporation of FA and LAB additives could improve the quality of fermented mixed silage, and that FA is better than LAB. This information is useful for combining forage resources to satisfy the requirements for high-protein feed and for manufacturing ruminant feed annually.

A Needle in the Haystack

For the past 20 years, the GEOTRACES program has produced transformative insights into the cycling of trace elements and isotopes (TEIs) in the ocean. Modeled after the 1970s GEOSECS (Geochemical Ocean Sections Study) program, the goals of this ambitious study were to conduct large-scale measurements of TEI concentrations and to determine the biogeochemical processes that controlled their distributions throughout the global ocean. Perhaps the biggest hurdle to overcome was how to accurately measure less than nanomolar concentrations of TEIs from the deck of a 3,000 gross tonnage steel ship. Contaminants were literally everywhere, requiring scientists and crew to become innovative in their attempts to maintain clean conditions for sample collection, storage, and measurement. GEOTRACES encouraged international partnerships while instilling a collaborative approach in the next generation of scientists. The practices GEOTRACES developed led to consistent high-quality measurements across diverse lab groups and provided an extensive and open database. GEOTRACES has truly been a labor of love among all the scientists and crews involved, and the program continues as a lofty example of the discoveries possible when conducting such wide-ranging collaborative research.

What’s the News About Bad News? A Review of Bad News Games as a Tool to Teach Media Literacy

Abstract This paper examines the Bad News series of games, created by the Cambridge University Social Decision Making Lab and DROG Group, as an educational tool. More specifically, it considers Bad News as a persuasive game, within the umbrella of gamification. After considering the history and context of the game, the educational, motivational, and informational theoretical frameworks of the games, research, and criticisms, this paper concludes that the games are not, in themselves, transformative.

Jinghua Li.

"The most important future applications of my research are assisting individuals with continuous health monitoring throughout their daily activities… My favorite thing about my lab group is the discussions frequently sparking mutual inspiration and giving rise to new ideas." Find out more about Jinghua Li in her Introducing… Profile.

The Translation of Mobile-Exoneuromusculoskeleton-Assisted Wrist-Hand Poststroke Telerehabilitation from Laboratory to Clinical Service.

Rehabilitation robots are helpful in poststroke telerehabilitation; however, their feasibility and rehabilitation effectiveness in clinical settings have not been sufficiently investigated. A non-randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate the feasibility of translating a telerehabilitation program assisted by a mobile wrist/hand exoneuromusculoskeleton (WH-ENMS) into routine clinical services and to compare the rehabilitative effects achieved in the hospital-service-based group (n = 12, clinic group) with the laboratory-research-based group (n = 12, lab group). Both groups showed significant improvements (p ≤ 0.05) in clinical assessments of behavioral motor functions and in muscular coordination and kinematic evaluations after the training and at the 3-month follow-up, with the lab group demonstrating better motor gains than the clinic group (p ≤ 0.05). The results indicated that the WH-ENMS-assisted tele-program was feasible and effective for upper limb rehabilitation when integrated into routine practice, and the quality of patient-operator interactions physically and remotely affected the rehabilitative outcomes.

Perceptions and Attitudes of Jordanian Medical Students on Using 3D Interactive Anatomy Dissection in Teaching and Learning Anatomy.

This study evaluates the use of virtual anatomy dissection (Anatomage Table) in teaching anatomy for Jordanian medical students. The study also highlights any gender differences in students' perception on this method of teaching anatomy. This is a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study that was carried out on medical students enrolled in Al-Balqa Applied University, a Jordanian public university. A group of expert anatomists designed a questionnaire that investigates the students' perceptions and attitudes toward using virtual anatomy dissection. The questionnaire also investigated student's opinions and expectations on the impact of using this method on the academic achievement of students. The findings of the study showed that most students agreed that Anatomage Table helped them better understand (64.3%) and memorize (64%) anatomy lectures. In addition, most students were interested in using this learning method in lab groups (72.3%). However, the didactic approach that combined anatomical models and the Anatomage Table was preferred over the unilateral approach that included only the Anatomage Table (80.5% vs 30.2%, p<0.001, r=0.9). Of note, there was a statistically significant difference between males and females in their preference for Anatomage Table (p<0.001), and in their perceptions on the impact of Anatomage Table on understanding of lectures (p<0.001) and memorization of anatomical structures (p=0.004). The Anatomage Table is a powerful teaching and learning method in undergraduate medical education. Its application to Al-Balqa Applied University has proven to be effective so far. It can be used to overcome the problems facing anatomical education in the college of medicine in Al-Balqa Applied University and perhaps other universities in Jordan, but this needs better cooperation between universities and stakeholders to provide adequate funding for this method.

EU COST Action CA21130 PRESTO ‘P2X receptors as therapeutic targets’ inaugural meeting report

The inaugural meeting of the EU COST Action CA21130 PRESTO was held in February 2023, at the University of Ferrara, Italy. Our meeting report provides an overview of PRESTO, a tribute to Professor Jim Wiley, overviews of the talk, and a speaker synopsis that discusses the resources, models, equipment, and techniques available in different lab groups throughout Europe, increasing the prospect of collaborative research.