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The School of Kinesiology (KINE) at Auburn University (AU) has demonstrated exemplary commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, earning the 2024 American Kinesiology Association's Inclusive Excellence Award. This article describes the strategic planning and actions taken by AU KINE over more than a decade to promote inclusive excellence by enhancing diversity and fostering inclusion. The article discusses how AU KINE overcame challenges, such as misconceptions about diversity initiatives, and how the unit continues to evolve, including developing an inclusive Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Throughout the process, AU KINE has aligned its diversity and inclusion mission and goals with the broader institution. The authors aim to demystify the process of creating a more diverse and inclusive kinesiology department and offer insights for other programs seeking to enhance their diversity and inclusion efforts. AU KINE's success demonstrates the transformative power of strategic, sustained initiatives to promote inclusive excellence in kinesiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1/CD54), a transmembrane glycoprotein, has been considered as one of the most important adhesion molecules during leukocyte recruitment. It is encoded by the ICAM1 gene and plays a central role in inflammation. Its crucial role in many inflammatory diseases such as ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis are well established. Given that neuroinflammation, underscored by microglial activation, is a key element in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD), we investigated whether ICAM-1 has a role in this progressive neurological condition and, if so, to elucidate the underpinning mechanisms. Specifically, we were interested in the potential interaction between ICAM-1, glial cells, and ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death that has recently been implicated in PD. We conclude that there exist direct and indirect (via glial cells and T cells) influences of ICAM-1 on ferroptosis and that further elucidation of these interactions can suggest novel intervention for this devastating disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A genotype-by-environment (G × E) interaction is defined as genotypes responding differently to different environments. In salmonids, G × E interactions can occur in different rearing conditions, including changes in salinity or temperature. However, water flow, an important variable that can influence metabolism, has yet to be considered for potential G × E interactions, although water flows differ across production stages. The salmonid industry is now manipulating flow in tanks to improve welfare and production performance, and expanding sea pen farming offshore, where flow dynamics are substantially greater. Therefore, there is a need to test whether G × E interactions occur under low and higher flow regimes to determine if industry should consider modifying their performance evaluation and selection criteria to account for different flow environments. Here, we used genotype-by-sequencing to create a genomic-relationship matrix of 37 Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, families to assess possible G × E interactions for production performance under two flow environments: a low flow regime (0.3 body lengths per second; bl s−1) and a moderate flow regime (0.8 bl s−1). Results: Genetic correlations for the same production performance trait between flow regimes suggest there is minimal evidence of a G × E interaction between the low and moderate flow regimes tested in this study, for Chinook salmon reared from 82.9 ± 16.8 g ( x ¯ ± s.d.) to 583.2 ± 117.1 g ( x ¯ ± s.d.). Estimates of genetic and phenotypic correlations between traits did not reveal any unfavorable trait correlations for size- (weight and condition factor) and growth-related traits, regardless of the flow regime, but did suggest measuring feed intake would be the preferred approach to improve feed efficiency because of the strong correlations between feed intake and feed efficiency, consistent with previous studies. Conclusion: This new information suggests that Chinook salmon families do not need to be selected separately for performance across different flow regimes. However, further studies are needed to confirm this across a wider range of fish sizes and flows. This information is key for breeding programs to determine if separate evaluation groups are required for different flow regimes that are used for production (e.g., hatchery, post smolt recirculating aquaculture system, or offshore). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Depressor anguli oris (DAO) excision can improve clinician‐graded, objective, and patient‐reported smile outcomes in patients with nonflaccid facial paralysis (NFFP). However, no prior research has studied changes in perceived emotions after surgery. This study quantifies changes in perceived emotions with smiling after DAO excision in the largest case series presented to date. Methods: Prospectively collected data from patients with NFFP who underwent DAO excision at a tertiary care facial nerve center were reviewed. Patient‐reported, clinician‐graded, and objective smile metrics were compared before and after surgery. Videos of faces at rest and while smiling were analyzed by artificial intelligence‐derived facial expression analysis software to quantify perceived emotions. Results: Sixty‐eight patients underwent isolated DAO excision between August 2021 and August 2023. Patients conveyed significantly more perceived happiness with smile and at rest after surgery (p < 0.001 and p = 0.012, respectively). DAO excision improved oral commissure excursion (p < 0.001), dental show (p < 0.001), and smile angle (p < 0.001) symmetry. Patients reported significant improvements in smiling and social function after surgery. Conclusions: This study demonstrates DAO excision increases perceived happiness conveyed by patients with NFFP while smiling and at rest. It confirms improved objective, clinician‐graded, and patient‐reported smile outcomes after surgery. Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 134:4028–4035, 2024 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective We compared the performance of 2 breast cancer screening approaches, automated breast US (ABUS) with same-day mammography (ABUS/MG) and handheld US (HHUS) with same-day mammography (HHUS/MG), in women with dense breasts to better understand the relative usefulness of ABUS and HHUS in a real-world clinical setting. Methods In this institutional review board–approved, retrospective observational study, we evaluated all ABUS/MG and HHUS/MG screening examinations performed at our institution from May 2013 to September 2021. BI-RADS categories, biopsy pathology results, and diagnostic test characteristics (eg, sensitivity, specificity) were compared between the 2 screening approaches using Fisher's exact test. Results A total of 1120 women with dense breasts were included in this study, with 852 undergoing ABUS/MG and 268 undergoing HHUS/MG. The sensitivities of ABUS/MG and HHUS/MG were 100% (5/5) and 75.0% (3/4), respectively, which was not a statistically significant difference (P   = .444). The ABUS/MG approach demonstrated a slightly higher specificity (97.4% [825/847] vs 94.3% [249/264]; P  = .028), higher accuracy (97.4% [830/852] vs 94.0% [252/268]; P  = .011), and lower biopsy recommendation rate (3.2% [27/852] vs 6.7% [18/268]; P  = .019) than the HHUS/MG approach in our patient population. Conclusion Our findings suggest that ABUS/MG performs comparably with HHUS/MG as a breast cancer screening approach in women with dense breasts in a real-world clinical setting, with the ABUS/MG approach demonstrating a similar sensitivity and slightly higher specificity than the HHUS/MG approach. Additional variables, such as patient experience and physician time, may help determine which imaging approach to employ in specific clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this Delphi-study was to establish the face and content validity of 10 movement skills, each with four evaluation criteria, to create the Children Focused Injury Risk Screening Tool (ChildFIRST) for 8-12-year-old children. We asked an international expert panel (n = 22) to validate a series of movement skills and evaluation criteria. This Delphi-process consisted of three rounds. In the first two rounds, the experts scored the movement skills and evaluation criteria using 5-point Likert scales. Consensus on validating an item was achieved when 75% or more of the experts scored "Agree" or "Strongly Agree." In the third-round, the experts ranked and established the final list with the validated movement skills and evaluation criteria. This study provided preliminary validity evidence for 10 movement skills, each with four evaluation criteria, to create the ChildFIRST. The ChildFIRST is designed to be used to evaluate movement competence and risk of musculoskeletal injury.

The Child-Focused Injury Risk Screening Tool (ChildFIRST) is a process-based assessment including 10 movement skills with 4 associated evaluation criteria. The ChildFIRST has been validated by a group of experts to evaluate movement competence and injury risk in 8-12-year-olds. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the reliability of the ChildFIRST. Twelve college-aged subjects participants attended a 1-hr training session. To evaluate inter-rater reliability, the participants rated 6 videos per movement, 60 videos in total. To evaluate intra-rater reliability, the participants returned after 7 days to rate the same videos. Movement skill inter-rater reliability ranged from -0.306 to 9.380 ICC, intra-rater reliability ranged from -0.386 to 0.881 ICC. Evaluation criteria inter-rater reliability ranged from -0.04 to 0.835 Ka and 52-100% agreement, intra-rater reliability ranged from -0.328 to 0.303 Cohen's K and 45.8-98.6% agreement. The ChildFIRST demonstrates moderate-to-excellent inter-rater reliability for 9 of 10 movement skills, while intra-rater reliability and overall evaluation criteria reliability range from good to poor.

This article details recent efforts to develop the undergraduate German curriculum with a focus on innovations in on-site linguistic and cultural-historical learning. Amid challenges stemming from the shifting functions of higher education, the changing profiles of student interests, and the evolving contours of our field, 21st-century German Studies in the U.S. increasingly finds itself in a mixed position of duress and opportunity. To continue to assert the value and relevance of our undertaking, we will likely do well to pursue German Studies' global turn. Without forfeiting the critical backbone of the discipline or our commitment to language acquisition and the emancipatory potentials of "Bildung," we can articulate our areas of inquiry capaciously, for example, elaborate Germanophone Studies within a landscape of multilingual and multinational humanities as well as demonstrate German Studies' sensitivity and responsiveness to students' orientations, interests, and needs. Highlighting such efforts with regard to curricular innovation and on-site learning, "Europe Fluvial" presents reflections on a cocurricular trip with students of French and German to the upper Rhine region as a case study of what multilingual European cultural studies can accomplish.

Recent outbreaks of H5, H7, and H9 influenza A viruses in humans have served as a vivid reminder of the potentially devastating effects that a novel pandemic could exert on the modern world. Those who have survived infections with influenza viruses in the past have been protected from subsequent antigenically similar pandemics through adaptive immunity. For example, during the 2009 H1N1 "swine flu" pandemic, those exposed to H1N1 viruses that circulated between 1918 and the 1940s were at a decreased risk for mortality as a result of their previous immunity. It is also generally thought that past exposures to antigenically dissimilar strains of influenza virus may also be beneficial due to cross-reactive cellular immunity. However, cohorts born during prior heterosubtypic pandemics have previously experienced elevated risk of death relative to surrounding cohorts of the same population. Indeed, individuals born during the 1890 H3Nx pandemic experienced the highest levels of excess mortality during the 1918 "Spanish flu." Applying Serfling models to monthly mortality and influenza circulation data between October 1997 and July 2014 in the United States and Mexico, we show corresponding peaks in excess mortality during the 2009 H1N1 "swine flu" pandemic and during the resurgent 2013-2014 H1N1 outbreak for those born at the time of the 1957 H2N2 "Asian flu" pandemic. We suggest that the phenomenon observed in 1918 is not unique and points to exposure to pandemic influenza early in life as a risk factor for mortality during subsequent heterosubtypic pandemics.IMPORTANCE The relatively low mortality experienced by older individuals during the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus pandemic has been well documented. However, reported situations in which previous influenza virus exposures have enhanced susceptibility are rare and poorly understood. One such instance occurred in 1918-when those born during the heterosubtypic 1890 H3Nx influenza virus pandemic experienced the highest levels of excess mortality. Here, we demonstrate that this phenomenon was not unique to the 1918 H1N1 pandemic but that it also occurred during the contemporary 2009 H1N1 pandemic and 2013-2014 H1N1-dominated season for those born during the heterosubtypic 1957 H2N2 "Asian flu" pandemic. These data highlight the heretofore underappreciated phenomenon that, in certain instances, prior exposure to pandemic influenza virus strains can enhance susceptibility during subsequent pandemics. These results have important implications for pandemic risk assessment and should inform laboratory studies aimed at uncovering the mechanism responsible for this effect.

BackgroundLignocellulosic biomass is an important resource for renewable production of biofuels and bioproducts. Enzymes that deconstruct this biomass are critical for the viability of biomass-based biofuel production processes. Current commercial enzyme mixtures have limited thermotolerance. Thermophilic fungi may provide enzyme mixtures with greater thermal stability leading to more robust processes. Understanding the induction of biomass-deconstructing enzymes in thermophilic fungi will provide the foundation for strategies to construct hyper-production strains.ResultsInduction of cellulases using xylan was demonstrated during cultivation of the thermophilic fungus Thermoascus aurantiacus. Simulated fed-batch conditions with xylose induced comparable levels of cellulases. These fed-batch conditions were adapted to produce enzymes in 2 and 19 L bioreactors using xylose and xylose-rich hydrolysate from dilute acid pretreatment of corn stover. Enzymes from T. aurantiacus that were produced in the xylose-fed bioreactor demonstrated comparable performance in the saccharification of deacetylated, dilute acid-pretreated corn stover when compared to a commercial enzyme mixture at 50 °C. The T. aurantiacus enzymes retained this activity at of 60 °C while the commercial enzyme mixture was largely inactivated.ConclusionsXylose induces both cellulase and xylanase production in T. aurantiacus and was used to produce enzymes at up to the 19 L bioreactor scale. The demonstration of induction by xylose-rich hydrolysate and saccharification of deacetylated, dilute acid-pretreated corn stover suggests a scenario to couple biomass pretreatment with onsite enzyme production in a biorefinery. This work further demonstrates the potential for T. aurantiacus as a thermophilic platform for cellulase development.