Digital Commons Network^™

Novel Avenues Of Tau Research, Claire E Sexton, Gal Bitan, Kathryn R Bowles, Miroslaw Brys, Luc Buée, Mahmoud Bukar Maina, Claire D Clelland, Ann D Cohen, John F Crary, Jeffrey L Dage, Kristophe Diaz, Bess Frost, Li Gan, Alison M Goate, Lawrence I Golbe, Oskar Hansson, Celeste M Karch, Hartmuth C Kolb, Renaud La Joie, Suzee E Lee, Diana Matallana, Bruce L Miller, Chiadi U Onyike, Yakeel T Quiroz, Jessica E Rexach, Jonathan D Rohrer, Amy Rommel, Ghazaleh Sadri-Vakili, Suzanne E Schindler, Julie A Schneider, Reisa A Sperling, Charlotte E Teunissen, Stacie C Weninger, Susan L Worley, Hui Zheng, Maria C Carrillo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: The pace of innovation has accelerated in virtually every area of tau research in just the past few years.

METHODS: In February 2022, leading international tau experts convened to share selected highlights of this work during Tau 2022, the second international tau conference co-organized and co-sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association, CurePSP, and the Rainwater Charitable Foundation.

RESULTS: Representing academia, industry, and the philanthropic sector, presenters joined more than 1700 registered attendees from 59 countries, spanning six continents, to share recent advances and exciting new directions in tau research.

DISCUSSION: The virtual meeting provided an opportunity to foster cross-sector collaboration …

Cub Domains Are Not Required For Ovch2 Function In Sperm Maturation In The Mouse Epididymis, Katarzyna Kent, Kaori Nozawa, Courtney Sutton, Frey Daniel, Masahito Ikawa, Thomas X Garcia, Martin M Matzuk

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Ovochymase 2 (Ovch2) is an epididymis-specific gene that is required for male fertility. While a multitude of reproductive tract-specific genes required for male fertility have been identified, OVCH2 is thus far the first protein required for male fertility that contains Complement C1r/C1s, Uegf, Bmp1 (CUB) domains located in tandem in the C-terminus of the protein. Identifying the functional significance of this unique domain has implications in better understanding fertility and infertility and as a potential contraceptive target.

OBJECTIVE: The goals of these studies were to understand the influence and requirement of OVCH2 CUB domains in the localization and functional …

Targeting Glutamine Dependence With Drp-104 Inhibits Proliferation And Tumor Growth Of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer, David Moon, J Spencer Hauck, Xue Jiang, Holly Quang, Lingfan Xu, Fan Zhang, Xia Gao, Robert Wild, Jeffrey I Everitt, Everardo Macias, Yiping He, Jiaoti Huang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PCa) continues to be one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in men. While androgen deprivation therapy is initially effective, castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) often recurs and has limited treatment options. Our previous study identified glutamine metabolism to be critical for CRPC growth. The glutamine antagonist 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine (DON) blocks both carbon and nitrogen pathways but has dose-limiting toxicity. The prodrug DRP-104 is expected to be preferentially converted to DON in tumor cells to inhibit glutamine utilization with minimal toxicity. However, CRPC cells' susceptibility to DRP-104 remains unclear.

METHODS: Human PCa cell lines (LNCaP, LAPC4, C4-2/MDVR, PC-3, 22RV1, …

Increased Plasma Branched Short-Chain Fatty Acids And Improved Glucose Homeostasis: The Microbiome And Insulin Longitudinal Evaluation Study (Miles), Arianne Aslamy, Alexis C Wood, Elizabeth T Jensen, Alain G Bertoni, Patricia A Sheridan, Kari E Wong, Gautam Ramesh, Jerome I Rotter, Yii-Der I Chen, Mark O Goodarzi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) have been extensively studied for potential beneficial roles in glucose homeostasis and risk of diabetes; however, most of this research has focused on butyrate, acetate, and propionate. The effect on metabolism of branched SCFAs (BSCFAs; isobutyrate, isovalerate, and methylbutyrate) is largely unknown. In a cohort of 219 non-Hispanic White participants and 126 African American participants, we examined the association of BSCFA with dysglycemia (prediabetes and diabetes) and oral glucose tolerance test-based measures of glucose and insulin homeostasis, as well as with demographic, anthropometric, lifestyle, and lipid traits, and other SCFAs. We observed a bimodal distribution of …

Retrograde Endocannabinoid Signaling At Inhibitory Synapses In Vivo, Barna Dudok, Linlin Z Fan, Jordan S Farrell, Shreya Malhotra, Jesslyn Homidan, Doo Kyung Kim, Celestine Wenardy, Charu Ramakrishnan, Yulong Li, Karl Deisseroth, Ivan Soltesz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Endocannabinoid (eCB)-mediated suppression of inhibitory synapses has been hypothesized, but this has not yet been demonstrated to occur in vivo because of the difficulty in tracking eCB dynamics and synaptic plasticity during behavior. In mice navigating a linear track, we observed location-specific eCB signaling in hippocampal CA1 place cells, and this was detected both in the postsynaptic membrane and the presynaptic inhibitory axons. All-optical in vivo investigation of synaptic responses revealed that postsynaptic depolarization was followed by a suppression of inhibitory synaptic potentials. Furthermore, interneuron-specific cannabinoid receptor deletion altered place cell tuning. Therefore, rapid, postsynaptic, activity-dependent eCB signaling modulates inhibitory …

Fine-Needle Aspiration Of Amyloidoma: A Critical Analysis, Nisha S Ramani, Bhuvaneswari Krishnan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Amyloid, presenting as a mass, is termed amyloidoma. Among the reported cases, fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of amyloid is often misinterpreted as acellular nondiagnostic material.

Methods: A computer search of all FNAs was performed and cases diagnosed as amyloidoma were identified.

Results: Among 11,956 cases and 20,634 FNAs, there were six cases and 12 FNAs of amyloidoma. One case with mucin/myxoid matrix was misinterpreted as amyloid, which on our review was Congo red negative. All five other cases of amyloidoma were adequate for evaluation. The smears showed most of the aspirated contents in the middle of the slide and it …

Advances In Pediatric Acute Kidney Injury Pathobiology: A Report From The 26th Acute Disease Quality Initiative (Adqi) Conference, Michelle C Starr, Erin Barreto, Jennifer Charlton, Molly Vega, Patrick D Brophy, O N Ray Bignall, Scott M Sutherland, Shina Menon, Prasad Devarajan, Ayse Akcan Arikan, Rajit Basu, Stuart Goldstein, Danielle E Soranno

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: In the past decade, there have been substantial advances in our understanding of the pathobiology of pediatric acute kidney injury (AKI). In particular, animal models and studies focused on the relationship between kidney development, nephron number, and kidney health have identified a number of heterogeneous pathophysiologies underlying AKI. Despite this progress, gaps remain in our understanding of the pathobiology of pediatric AKI.

Methods: During the 26th Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) Consensus conference, a multidisciplinary group of experts discussed the evidence and used a modified Delphi process to achieve consensus on recommendations for opportunities to advance translational research in …

Postsynaptic Β1 Spectrin Maintains Na+ Channels At The Neuromuscular Junction, Ozlem Sert, Xiaoyun Ding, Chuansheng Zhang, Ruifa Mi, Ahmet Hoke, Matthew N Rasband

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Spectrins function together with actin as obligatory subunits of the submembranous cytoskeleton. Spectrins maintain cell shape, resist mechanical forces, and stabilize ion channel and transporter protein complexes through binding to scaffolding proteins. Recently, pathogenic variants of SPTBN4 (β4 spectrin) were reported to cause both neuropathy and myopathy. Although β4 spectrin's role in neurons is mostly understood, its function in skeletal muscle, another excitable tissue subject to large forces, is unknown. Here, using a muscle specific β4 spectrin conditional knockout mouse, we show that β4 spectrin does not contribute to muscle function. In addition, we show β4 spectrin is not present …

Cognitive, Emotional, And Other Non-Motor Symptoms Of Spinocerebellar Ataxias, Chi-Ying R Lin, Sheng-Han Kuo, Puneet Opal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose of review: Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are autosomal dominant degenerative syndromes that present with ataxia and brain stem abnormalities. This review describes the cognitive and behavioral symptoms of SCAs in the context of recent knowledge of the role of the cerebellum in higher intellectual function.

Recent findings: Recent studies suggest that patients with spinocerebellar ataxia can display cognitive deficits even early in the disease. These have been given the term cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS). CCAS can be tracked using newly developed rating scales. In addition, patients with spinocerebellar ataxia also display impulsive and compulsive behavior, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and …

Advances In Immunocompetent Mouse And Rat Models, Wen Bu, Yi Li

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Rodent models of breast cancer have played critical roles in our understanding of breast cancer development and progression as well as preclinical testing of cancer prevention and therapeutics. In this article, we first review the values and challenges of conventional genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models and newer iterations of these models, especially those with inducible or conditional regulation of oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Then, we discuss nongermline (somatic) GEM models of breast cancer with temporospatial control, made possible by intraductal injection of viral vectors to deliver oncogenes or to manipulate the genome of mammary epithelial cells. Next, we introduce the …

Nadph Oxidase Overexpression And Mitochondrial Oxphos Impairment Are More Profound In Human Hearts Donated After Circulatory Death Than Brain Death, Nandan K Mondal, Shiyi Li, Abdussalam E Elsenousi, Aladdein Mattar, Katherine V Nordick, Harveen K Lamba, Camila Hochman-Mendez, Todd K Rosengart, Kenneth K Liao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This study investigated cardiac stress and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) in human donation after circulatory death (DCD) hearts regarding warm ischemic time (WIT) and subsequent cold storage and compared them with that of human brain death donor (DBD) hearts. A total of 24 human hearts were procured for the research study-6 in the DBD group and 18 in the DCD group. DCD group was divided into three groups (n = 6) based on different WITs (20, 40, and 60 min). All hearts received del Nido cardioplegia before being placed in normal saline cold storage for 6 h. Left ventricular …

Centriole And Transition Zone Structures In Photoreceptor Cilia Revealed By Cryo-Electron Tomography, Zhixian Zhang, Abigail R Moye, Feng He, Muyuan Chen, Melina A Agosto, Theodore G Wensel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Primary cilia mediate sensory signaling in multiple organisms and cell types but have structures adapted for specific roles. Structural defects in them lead to devastating diseases known as ciliopathies in humans. Key to their functions are structures at their base: the basal body, the transition zone, the "Y-shaped links," and the "ciliary necklace." We have used cryo-electron tomography with subtomogram averaging and conventional transmission electron microscopy to elucidate the structures associated with the basal region of the "connecting cilia" of rod outer segments in mouse retina. The longitudinal variations in microtubule (MT) structures and the lumenal scaffold complexes connecting them …

Bi-Allelic Variants In Celsr3 Are Implicated In Central Nervous System And Urinary Tract Anomalies, Jil D Stegmann, Jeshurun C Kalanithy, Gabriel C Dworschak, Nina Ishorst, Enrico Mingardo, Filipa M Lopes, Yee Mang Ho, Phillip Grote, Tobias T Lindenberg, Öznur Yilmaz, Khadija Channab, Steve Seltzsam, Shirlee Shril, Friedhelm Hildebrandt, Felix Boschann, André Heinen, Angad Jolly, Katherine Myers, Kim Mcbride, Mir Reza Bekheirnia, Nasim Bekheirnia, Marcello Scala, Manuela Morleo, Vincenzo Nigro, Annalaura Torella, Tudp Consortium, Michele Pinelli, Valeria Capra, Andrea Accogli, Silvia Maitz, Alice Spano, Rory J Olson, Eric W Klee, Brendan C Lanpher, Se Song Jang, Jong-Hee Chae, Philipp Steinbauer, Dietmar Rieder, Andreas R Janecke, Julia Vodopiutz, Ida Vogel, Jenny Blechingberg, Jennifer L Cohen, Kacie Riley, Victoria Klee, Laurence E Walsh, Matthias Begemann, Miriam Elbracht, Thomas Eggermann, Arzu Stoppe, Kyra Stuurman, Marjon Van Slegtenhorst, Tahsin Stefan Barakat, Maureen S Mulhern, Tristan T Sands, Cheryl Cytrynbaum, Rosanna Weksberg, Federica Isidori, Tommaso Pippucci, Giulia Severi, Francesca Montanari, Michael C Kruer, Somayeh Bakhtiari, Hossein Darvish, Heiko Reutter, Gregor Hagelueken, Matthias Geyer, Adrian S Woolf, Jennifer E Posey, James R Lupski, Benjamin Odermatt, Alina C Hilger

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

CELSR3 codes for a planar cell polarity protein. We describe twelve affected individuals from eleven independent families with bi-allelic variants in CELSR3. Affected individuals presented with an overlapping phenotypic spectrum comprising central nervous system (CNS) anomalies (7/12), combined CNS anomalies and congenital anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT) (3/12) and CAKUT only (2/12). Computational simulation of the 3D protein structure suggests the position of the identified variants to be implicated in penetrance and phenotype expression. CELSR3 immunolocalization in human embryonic urinary tract and transient suppression and rescue experiments of Celsr3 in fluorescent zebrafish reporter lines further support an …

Cholinergic Basal Forebrain Connectivity To The Basolateral Amygdala Modulates Food Intake, Joshua Ortiz-Guzman, Jessica L Swanson, Evelyne K Tantry, Mikhail Kochukov, Kevin Ung, Angela P Addison, Snigdha Srivastava, Benjamin D Belfort, Emily Ji, Sean W Dooling, Sarah A Chen, Qingchun Tong, Benjamin R Arenkiel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Obesity results from excessive caloric input associated with overeating and presents a major public health challenge. The hypothalamus has received significant attention for its role in governing feeding behavior and body weight homeostasis. However, extrahypothalamic brain circuits also regulate appetite and consumption by altering sensory perception, motivation, and reward. We recently discovered a population of basal forebrain cholinergic (BFc) neurons that regulate appetite suppression. Through viral tracing methods in the mouse model, we found that BFc neurons densely innervate the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a limbic structure involved in motivated behaviors. Using channelrhodopsin-assisted circuit mapping, we identified cholinergic responses in BLA …

The Application Of Digital Frailty Screening To Triage Nonhealing And Complex Wounds, Ram Kinker Mishra, Rasha O Bara, Alejandro Zulbaran-Rojas, Catherine Park, Malindu E Fernando, Jeffrey Ross, Brian Lepow, Bijan Najafi

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Objective: We investigated the association between the complexity of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) and frailty.

Research design and methods: Individuals (n = 38) with Grade 2 Wagner DFU were classified into 3 groups based on the Society for Vascular Surgery risk-stratification for major limb amputation as Stage 1 at very low risk (n = 19), Stage 2 at low risk (n = 9), and Stage 3 to 4 at moderate-to-high risk (n = 10) of major limb amputation. Frailty status was objectively assessed using a validated digital frailty meter (FM). The FM works by quantifying weakness, slowness, rigidity, and exhaustion …

Tex46 Knockout Male Mice Are Sterile Secondary To Sperm Head Malformations And Failure To Penetrate Through The Zona Pellucida, Yoshitaka Fujihara, Haruhiko Miyata, Ferheen Abbasi, Tamara Larasati, Kaori Nozawa, Zhifeng Yu, Masahito Ikawa, Martin M Matzuk

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Each year, infertility affects 15% of couples worldwide, with 50% of cases attributed to men. It is assumed that sperm head shape is important for sperm-zona pellucida (ZP) penetration but research has yet to elucidate why. We generated testis expressed 46 (Tex46) knockout mice to investigate the essential roles of TEX46 in mammalian reproduction. We used RT-PCR to demonstrate that Tex46 was expressed exclusively in the male reproductive tract in mice and humans. We created Tex46−/− mice using the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system and analyzed their fertility. Tex46 null spermatozoa …

Metagenomic Analysis Unravels Novel Taxonomic Differences In The Uterine Microbiome Between Healthy Mares And Mares With Endometritis, Aeknath Virendra, Sarita U Gulavane, Zulfikar A Ahmed, Ravi Reddy, Ravindra J Chaudhari, Sandeep M Gaikwad, Raju R Shelar, Shailesh D Ingole, Varsha D Thorat, Afroza Khanam, Firdous A Khan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The application of high throughput technologies has enabled unravelling of unique differences between healthy mares and mares with endometritis at transcriptomic and proteomic levels. However, differences in the uterine microbiome are yet to be investigated.

OBJECTIVES: The present study was aimed at evaluating the differences in uterine microbiome between healthy mares and mares with endometritis.

METHODS: Low-volume lavage (LVL) samples were collected from the uterus of 30 mares classified into healthy (n = 15) and endometritis (n = 15) based on their reproductive history, intrauterine fluid accumulation, gross appearance of LVL samples, endometrial cytology and bacterial culture. The samples …

Yap Induces A Neonatal-Like Pro-Renewal Niche In The Adult Heart, Rich Gang Li, Xiao Li, Yuka Morikawa, Francisco J Grisanti-Canozo, Fansen Meng, Chang-Ru Tsai, Yi Zhao, Lin Liu, Jong Kim, Bing Xie, Elzbieta Klysik, Shijie Liu, Md Abul Hassan Samee, James F Martin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

After myocardial infarction (MI), mammalian hearts do not regenerate, and the microenvironment is disrupted. Hippo signaling loss of function with activation of transcriptional co-factor YAP induces heart renewal and rebuilds the post-MI microenvironment. In this study, we investigated adult renewal-competent mouse hearts expressing an active version of YAP, called YAP5SA, in cardiomyocytes (CMs). Spatial transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing revealed a conserved, renewal-competent CM cell state called adult (a)CM2 with high YAP activity. aCM2 co-localized with cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) expressing complement pathway component C3 and macrophages (MPs) expressing C3ar1 receptor to form a cellular triad in YAP5SA hearts and renewal-competent …

The Pug Flap: Conjoined Profunda Artery Perforator And Upper Gracilis Flap For Breast Reconstruction, Isra Abdulwadood, Lacey R Pflibsen, Nicholas R Jarvis, Sebastian Winocour, Alanna M Rebecca, William J Casey, Edward M Reece

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Abdominal-based free flaps are the mainstay of autologous breast reconstruction; however, the region may not be ideal for patients with inadequate soft tissue or history of abdominal surgery. This case describes the use of a novel conjoined flap based on the profunda artery perforator and upper gracilis pedicles, named the perforator and upper gracilis (PUG) flap. This flap design aims to maximize medial thigh flap volume while ensuring robust tissue perforation. Here, we present our experience with the PUG flap in a breast cancer patient undergoing autologous reconstruction. The patient was a 41-year-old woman seeking nipple-sparing mastectomy and immediate autologous …

A Study Of Dietary Patterns Derived By Cluster Analysis And Their Association With Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease Severity Among Hispanic Patients, Xiaotao Zhang, Carrie R Daniel, Valeria Soltero, Ximena Vargas, Shilpa Jain, Fasiha Kanwal, Aaron P Thrift, Maya Balakrishnan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Diet is a modifiable metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) risk factor, but few studies have been conducted among Hispanic patients, despite the fact that MASLD prevalence and severity are highest among this ethnic subgroup. We aimed to identify prevalent dietary patterns among Hispanic patients using cluster analysis and to investigate associations with MASLD severity.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis included 421 Harris County MASLD Cohort participants who self-reported Hispanic ethnicity and completed baseline food frequency questionnaires. All included patients had MASLD, diagnosed per standard clinical criteria. K-means analysis was used to identify clusters of patients sharing similar dietary habits. …

The Impact Of Covid-19 In Reshaping Graduate Medical Education: Harnessing Hybrid Learning And Virtual Training, Abdualla Ben Ammer, Jennifer L Bryan, Ali Abbas Asghar-Ali

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many graduate medical education (GME) programs switched from in-person to virtual training to ensure a safe learning environment. However, the preferences of US residents in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic are largely unknown.

Objective

The authors surveyed PGY-2 psychiatry residents about their perception of the pandemic's impact on their clinical skills, didactics experience, training preferences, and future career perceptions.

Methods

The cross-sectional study was conducted from October 31, 2021, to December 31, 2021. The authors emailed a survey to directors of US general psychiatry residency programs to disseminate to PGY-2 residents. …

Granulocytic Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cell Activity During Biofilm Infection Is Regulated By A Glycolysis/Hif1a Axis, Christopher M. Horn, Prabhakar Arumugam, Zachary Van Roy, Cortney E. Heim, Rachel W. Fallet, Blake P. Bertrand, Dhananjay Shinde, Vinai Chittezham Thomas, Svetlana Romanova, Tatiana K. Bronich, Curtis Hartman, Kevin Garvin, Tammy Kielian

Journal Articles: Pathology and Microbiology

Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of biofilm-associated prosthetic joint infection (PJI). A primary contributor to infection chronicity is an expansion of granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSCs), which are critical for orchestrating the antiinflammatory biofilm milieu. Single-cell sequencing and bioinformatic metabolic algorithms were used to explore the link between G-MDSC metabolism and S. aureus PJI outcome. Glycolysis and the hypoxia response through HIF1a were significantly enriched in G-MDSCs. Interfering with both pathways in vivo, using a 2-deoxyglucose nanopreparation and granulocyte-targeted Hif1a conditional KO mice, respectively, attenuated G-MDSC-mediated immunosuppression and reduced bacterial burden in a mouse model of S. aureus PJI. …

The Card8 Inflammasome Dictates Hiv/Siv Pathogenesis And Disease Progression, Qiankun Wang, Kolin M Clark, Ritudhwaj Tiwari, Nagarajan Raju, Gregory K Tharp, Jeffrey Rogers, R Alan Harris, Muthuswamy Raveendran, Steven E Bosinger, Tricia H Burdo, Guido Silvestri, Liang Shan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

While CD4+ T-cell depletion is key to disease progression in people living with HIV and SIV-infected macaques, the mechanisms underlying this depletion remain incompletely understood, with most cell death involving uninfected cells. In contrast, SIV infection of “natural” hosts such as sooty mangabeys do not cause CD4+ depletion and AIDS despite high-level viremia. Here, we report that the CARD8 inflammasome is activated immediately after HIV entry by the viral protease encapsulated in incoming virions. Sensing of HIV protease activity by CARD8 leads to rapid pyroptosis of quiescent cells without productive infection, while T-cell activation abolishes CARD8 function and increases permissiveness …

Ethanol Leaf Extracts Of Anogeissus Leiocarpus In Antioxidants And Hepatotoxic Effects Of Escherichia Coli Infected Swiss Mice, Fred Coolborn Akharaiyi, Chioma Bertha Ehis-Eriakha, Peter Taiwo Olagbemide, Stephen Eromosele Akemu

BioMedicine

Introduction: Diseases caused by bacteria can be managed with medicinal plants with rightful dosage that will not affect body physiology and organs.

Aim: This research aimed to evaluate the antioxidants and the effects of Anogeisus leiocarpus on liver function.

Materials and Methods: Ethanol leaf extracts were processed for antioxidants and hepatotoxic effects using animal models. Group one (negative control) was given access to water and regular feed, group two (positive control) was dosed with 107 CFU/ml of Escherichia coli O157:H7, and groups 3-6 were dosed with 107 E. coli O157:H7 for 3 days and treated with extract concentrations of 12, …

Impact And Prevalence Of Comorbidities And Complications On The Severity Of Covid-19 In Association With Age, Gender, Obesity, And Pre-Existing Smoking: A Meta-Analysis, Soulandi Djorwé, Amale Bousfiha, Néhémie Nzoyikorera, Joseph Nyandwi, Bellamine Kawthar, Abderrahim Malki

BioMedicine

Background: COVID-19 patients usually present multiple comorbidities and complications associated with severe forms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aimed to assess the risk factors and prevalence of comorbidities and complications contributing to the severity of COVID-19.

Methods: This meta-analysis was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched various databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus (between 2020 and 2023), for eligible studies for this meta-analysis.

Results: Thirty-three studies were eligible, including 85812 patients, of which 36% (30634/85812) had severe disease, whereas 64% (55178/85812) had non-severe disease. Severe cases were potentially correlated with the following factors: gender (male) (odd ratio (OR) …

Biomedicines In Longevity And Aging The Quest To Resist Biological Decline, Raymond D D Raymond

BioMedicine

Aging is considered part of the natural process of life, however in recent years medical literature has started to show that specific facets of aging are beginning to be understood and those specific factors may even be considered preventable with various measures as this paper will demonstrate. Aging is also considered the number one cause of poor quality of life, disease, disability, and death, so the importance of understanding the aging process and how to control certain aspects of it cannot be underestimated when age related suffering is factored in. The causes of aging are now becoming well understood, and …

A Brief Literature Review Of Low-Level Laser Therapy For Treating Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis And Confirmation Of Its Effectiveness, Sergey Vladimirovich Moskvin

BioMedicine

Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with a steadily progressive course due to the death of central and peripheral motor neurons responsible for voluntary movements. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a treatment method unique in its universality and efficacy, particularly for neurodegenerative diseases.

Methods: In this review, we discuss the effect and application of LLLT in the treatment of ALS. A literature search for English and Russian publications for the keywords "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis", "Low-Level Laser Therapy" was performed using PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science and Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI) databases.

Results: The article …

Impact Of Electronic Cigarettes On Pediatric, Adolescent And Young Adult Leukemia Patients, Sanila Sarkar, Lea M Stitzlein, Joya Chandra

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Electronic cigarettes, which deliver an aerosolized, nicotine-containing product upon inhalation, are a public health issue that continue to gain popularity among adolescents and young adults in the United States. Use of electronic cigarettes is wide, and extends to pediatric patients with multiple comorbidities, including childhood cancer, leaving them vulnerable to further negative health outcomes. Acute leukemias are the most common type of cancer in pediatric populations, and treatment outcomes for these patients are improving; consequently, there is an increased emphasis on the effect of behavioral lifestyle factors on quality of life in survivorship. The rate of electronic cigarette use is …

Bactericidal Efficacy Of The Combination Of Maresin-Like Proresolving Mediators And Carbenicillin Action On Biofilm-Forming Burn Trauma Infection-Related Bacteria, Anbu Mozhi Thamizhchelvan, Abdul Razak Masoud, Shanchun Su, Yan Lu, Hongying Peng, Yuichi Kobayashi, Yu Wang, Nathan K. Archer, Song Hong

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Biofilm-associated bacterial infections are the major reason for treatment failure in many diseases including burn trauma infections. Uncontrolled inflammation induced by bacteria leads to materiality, tissue damage, and chronic diseases. Specialized proresolving mediators (SPMs), including maresin-like lipid mediators (MarLs), are enzymatically biosynthesized from omega-3 essential long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), by macrophages and other leukocytes. SPMs exhibit strong inflammation-resolving activities, especially inflammation provoked by bacterial infection. In this study, we explored the potential direct inhibitory activities of three MarLs on Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) bacteria in their biofilms that are leading …

Circular Stag2 Rna Modulates Bladder Cancer Progression Via Mir-145-5p/Tagln2 And Is Considered As A Biomarker For Recurrence, Chris Du, Wayne C Waltzer, Jeremy E Wilusz, Massimiliano Spaliviero, Frank Darras, Victor Romanov

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Simple Summary

Bladder cancer (BCa) is a major urologic malignancy with a high potential for death-threatening complications. Successful treatment relies on timely diagnostics and prediction of clinical outcomes. Molecular markers can be helpful for earlier diagnosis and for making treatment decisions. The biomarker landscape for BCa is not satisfactory yet. The discovery of novel diagnostic indicators for making treatment decisions is critical. Biological fluids are the most convenient and reliable source of these molecules. Circular RNAs (CircRNAs), special non-coding RNAs with a stable structure that are formed by a unique backsplicing process, recently became popular candidates for biomarkers in cancer …