Translational Medical Research Commons^™

The Effects Of Temperature And Seasons On Subcutaneous White Adipose Tissue In Humans: Evidence For Thermogenic Gene Induction, Philip A. Kern, Brian S. Finlin, Beibei Zhu, Neda Rasouli, Robert E. Mcgehee Jr., Philip M. Westgate, Esther E. Dupont-Versteegden

Clinical and Translational Science Faculty Publications

Context: Although brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity is increased by a cold environment, little is known of the response of human white adipose tissue (WAT) to the cold.

Design: We examined both abdominal and thigh subcutaneous (SC) WAT from 71 subjects who were biopsied in the summer or winter, and adipose expression was assessed after an acute cold stimulus applied to the thigh of physically active young subjects.

Results: In winter, UCP1 and PGC1 α mRNA were increased 4 to 10-fold (p<0.05) and 1.5 to 2-fold, respectively, along with beige adipose markers, and UCP1 protein was 3-fold higher in the winter. The seasonal increase in abdominal SC WAT UCP1 mRNA was considerably diminished in subjects with a BMI > 30 kg/m², suggesting that dysfunctional WAT in obesity inhibits adipose thermogenesis. After applying an acute …

Neglected Or Non-Compliant? Assessing The Difficulties Of Tuberculosis Patients In Salvador-Ba, Brazil, Erin Slatery

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze how Instituto Brasileiro para Investigação da Tuberculose (IBIT), a philanthropic tuberculosis clinic in Salvador, Brazil, maintains treatment abandonment rates much lower than those of surrounding public clinics. This study also aims to evaluate how professionals conceptualize and address the difficulties faced by patients.

Methods: Interviews were conducted with 8 IBIT professionals and 16 patients in treatment for tuberculosis in the aforementioned institution via semi-structured and structured questionnaires, respectively. Participant observation guided the analysis of relationships between patients and professionals.

Results: Patients found varying aspects of treatment difficult depending on personal circumstances, …

Promoting Teamwork In Translational Medical Teams: Insights And Recommendations From Science And Practice, Lauren E. Benishek, Ashley M. Hughes, Megan E. Gregory, Shirley C. Sonesh, Eduardo Salas, Elizabeth H. Lazzara

Publications

Translational medical teams are transdisciplinary, highly collaborative, and operate within dynamic environments to solve time-sensitive and complex problems. These teams are tasked with turning observations in the laboratory and clinic into effective interventions that improve the health of individuals and the public. The nature of the problems they seek to solve requires coordination among clinicians, scientists, and experts from various scientific disciplines. Characteristically, translational medical teams have complex compositions, structure, and pluralistic goals, which pose significant challenges and barriers to enacting effective teamwork, compromising team performance. Given these challenges, it is imperative to glean insights from teams research and the …

Shape And Position Of The Node And Notochord Along The Bilateral Plane Of Symmetry Are Regulated By Cell-Extracellular Matrix Interactions., Maria Pulina, Dong Liang, Sophie Astrof

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

The node and notochord (and their equivalents in other species) are essential signaling centers, positioned along the plane of bilateral symmetry in developing vertebrate embryos. However, genes and mechanisms regulating morphogenesis of these structures and their placement along the embryonic midline are not well understood. In this work, we provide the first evidence that the position of the node and the notochord along the bilateral plane of symmetry are under genetic control and are regulated by integrin α5β1 and fibronectin in mice. We found that the shape of the node is often inverted in integrin α5-null and fibronectin-null mutants, and …

Pioglitazone Treatment Reduces Adipose Tissue Inflammation Through Reduction Of Mast Cell And Macrophage Number And By Improving Vascularity, Michael Spencer, Lin Yang, Akosua Adu, Brian S. Finlin, Beibei Zhu, Lindsey R. Shipp, Neda Rasouli, Charlotte A. Peterson, Philip A. Kern

Clinical and Translational Science Faculty Publications

Context and Objective: Adipose tissue in insulin resistant subjects contains inflammatory cells and extracellular matrix components. This study examined adipose pathology of insulin resistant subjects who were treated with pioglitazone or fish oil.

Design, Setting and Participants: Adipose biopsies were examined from nine insulin resistant subjects before/after treatment with pioglitazone 45 mg/day for 12 weeks and also from 19 subjects who were treated with fish oil (1,860 mg EPA, 1,500 mg DHA daily). These studies were performed in a clinical research center setting.

Results: Pioglitazone treatment increased the cross-sectional area of adipocytes by 18% (p = 0.01), and also increased …

Statement Before The House Of Representatives Subcommittee On Health Of The Committee On Energy And Commerce, Fred D. Ledley

Natural & Applied Sciences Faculty Publications

Statement of Fred David Ledley, M.D.
Director, Center for Integration of Science and Industry
Professor, Natural and Applied Sciences and Management
Bentley University, Waltham, MA

Before the House of Representatives
Subcommittee on Health of the
Committee on Energy and Commerce

Hearing: 21st Century Cures: Examining the Role of Incentives in Advancing Treatments and Cures for Patients

June 11, 2014

Why Does Society Support Science? And How To Meet The Expectations?, Fred D. Ledley

Natural & Applied Sciences Faculty Publications

Public support for science is related less to the wonder of scientific discovery than the expectation that scientific and technological advances will lead to new product, jobs, and economic growth. Recent evidence suggests that these outcomes are not certain. Fred Ledley argues that the public is often promised the benefits of scientific discoveries without adequate consideration of the business challenges inherent in translating science for public benefit.

How To Lie With (Fda) Statistics, Fred D. Ledley

Natural & Applied Sciences Faculty Publications

The FDA approved 27 new drugs in 2013. Is this a downward trend? Is it an upward trend? Does it suggest that the pharmaceutical industry is failing, or that genomics is finally paying dividends? We revisit Darrell Huff’s 1954 classic How to Lie with Statistics for insights into these pressing questions.

Modeling The Adaptive Immune Response To Mutation-Generated Antigens, Rory J. Geyer

University Scholar Projects

Somatic mutations may drive tumorigenesis or lead to new, immunogenic epitopes (neoantigens). The immune system is thought to represses neoplastic growths through the recognition of neoantigens presented only by tumor cells. To study mutations as well as the immune response to mutation-generated antigens, we have created a conditional knockin mouse line with a gene encoding, 5’ to 3’, yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), ovalbumin (which is processed to the immunologically recognizable peptide, SIINFEKL), and cyan fluorescent protein (CFP), or, YFP-ovalbumin-CFP. A frame shift mutation has been created at the 5’ end of the ovalbumin gene, hence YFP should always be expressed, …

Brain Blast 2014 Speakers Poster, Annie Leslie

Brain Blast

Poster from UNE's Brain Blast 2014 listing the presenters at this event.

Brain Blast 2014 Poster, Annie Leslie

Brain Blast

Announcement poster for UNE's Brain Blast 2014, a pechakucha-style brain health and safety awareness and learning event.

African Primary Care Research: Current Situation, Priorities And Capacity Building, Robert Mash, Akye Essuman, Riaz Ratansi, Felicity Goodyear-Smith, Klaus Von Pressentin, Zelra Malan, Marianne Van Lancker, Jan De Maeseneer

Faculty of Health Sciences, East Africa

The Sixth PRIMAFAMED (Primary Health Care/Family Medicine Education Network) workshop on ‘Capacity Building and Priorities in Primary Care Research’ was held in Pretoria, South Africa (SA), from 22 to 24 June 2014. Delegates from the following countries attended the workshop: Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, SA, Zambia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Mozambique, Swaziland, Belgium, and Denmark (Figure 1). Delegates were from established or emerging departments of family medicine and primary care in these countries. The central theme of the workshop was primary care research – the current situation, the priorities for research and the need for capacity …