Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of The Triglyceride-Glucose Index As A Biomarker Of Cardio-Metabolic Syndromes, Verena Gounden, Sridevi Devaraj, Ishwarlal Jialal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index represents a simple, cost-effective, and valid proxy for insulin resistance. This surrogate marker has also been proposed as a predictor of metabolic and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this descriptive review, we aimed to assess the utility of the TyG index as a predictive biomarker of cardiometabolic diseases.

METHODS: A search was conducted in PubMed, and Web of Science to identify cross-sectional and more importantly prospective studies examining the use of the TyG index as a predictive biomarker. The following terms were utilized in addition to the TyG index: "insulin resistance", "metabolic syndrome", "diabetes"; "cardiovascular diseases". …

Sparkled: Social Programming In Kids Affects Risk Of Latent Endothelial Disease, Rebecca Drakowski

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Social Health Programming (SHP) is a holistic intervention that can empower communities to address modifiable risk factors for poor cardiovascular health, including suboptimal nutrition or psychosocial stressors. SHP participation has been shown to increase dietary intake of fruits and vegetables, decrease perceived stress, and improve cardiovascular endurance. However, it is unknown how SHP participation during adolescence affects carotenoid serum levels, hair cortisol concentrations (biological marker of chronic stress), or vascular reactivity index (VRI; measure of subclinical cardiovascular health).

Methods: Adolescent girls and young adult women (12–29-year-old) were enrolled in this observational cohort study. Serum, hair, and saliva samples were …

Structural Variant Allelic Heterogeneity In Mecp2 Duplication Syndrome Provides Insight Into Clinical Severity And Variability Of Disease Expression, Davut Pehlivan, Jesse D Bengtsson, Sameer S Bajikar, Christopher M Grochowski, Ming Yin Lun, Mira Gandhi, Angad Jolly, Alexander J Trostle, Holly K Harris, Bernhard Suter, Sukru Aras, Melissa B Ramocki, Haowei Du, Michele G Mehaffey, Kyunghee Park, Ellen Wilkey, Cemal Karakas, Jesper J Eisfeldt, Maria Pettersson, Lynn Liu, Marwan S Shinawi, Virginia E Kimonis, Wojciech Wiszniewski, Kyle Mckenzie, Timo Roser, Angela M Vianna-Morgante, Alberto S Cornier, Ahmed Abdelmoity, James P Hwang, Shalini N Jhangiani, Donna M Muzny, Tadahiro Mitani, Kazuhiro Muramatsu, Shin Nabatame, Daniel G Glaze, Jawid M Fatih, Richard A Gibbs, Zhandong Liu, Anna Lindstrand, Fritz J Sedlazeck, James R Lupski, Huda Y Zoghbi, Claudia M B Carvalho

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: MECP2 Duplication Syndrome, also known as X-linked intellectual developmental disorder Lubs type (MRXSL; MIM: 300260), is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by copy number gains spanning MECP2. Despite varying genomic rearrangement structures, including duplications and triplications, and a wide range of duplication sizes, no clear correlation exists between DNA rearrangement and clinical features. We had previously demonstrated that up to 38% of MRXSL families are characterized by complex genomic rearrangements (CGRs) of intermediate complexity (2 ≤ copy number variant breakpoints < 5), yet the impact of these genomic structures on regulation of gene expression and phenotypic manifestations have not been investigated.

METHODS: To study the role of the genomic rearrangement structures on an individual's clinical phenotypic variability, we employed a comprehensive …

Gene-Environment Interactions In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Insights From Mexican American Populations, Eron G. Manusov, Vincent P. Diego, Marcio Almeida, Jacob Galan, Auwal A. Bala, Marco Arriaga, Natasha Garcia-Rodriguez, Renee Hernandez, Satish Kumar, John Blangero, Sarah Williams-Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent and complex condition influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. This chapter explores the genotype-by-environment interactions that contribute to the development and progression of NAFLD in the Mexican American population. Using advanced genetic epidemiology and bioinformatics approaches, we investigated how specific genetic variants interact with environmental factors such as depression, acculturation stress, and social determinants of health, to influence NAFLD risk and severity. Our findings reveal significant genotype-by-environment interactions for key NAFLD-related traits, including HbA1c, AST/ALT ratio, and steatosis-controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). We also discuss the application of cutting-edge proteomic and transcriptomic …

5-Fluorouracil Induced Oxidative Stress Is Variable Across Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cell Lines, Rachel L. Walker

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with treatment limited to chemotherapy. However, not all patient tumors respond to chemotherapy. The variable cytotoxic effects of chemotherapies may be due to how cancer cells regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we examined two mouse breast cancer cell lines: 4T1 and EO771, vary when treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and 5-Fluorouracil (5FU), known ROS-inducing substances. In 4T1 cells H2O2 increased oxidized DNA but caused minimal cell death. While in EO771 cells that same amount of H2O2 caused complete apoptosis. Cell number, ROS, and cell death showed …

Development, Progression, And Mortality Of Suspected Interstitial Lung Disease In Copdgene, Jonathan A Rose, Ann-Marcia C Tukpah, Claire Cutting, Noriaki Wada, Mizuki Nishino, Matthew Moll, Sean Kalra, Bina Choi, David A Lynch, Benjamin A Raby, Ivan O Rosas, Raúl San José Estépar, George R Washko, Edwin K Silverman, Michael H Cho, Hiroto Hatabu, Rachel K Putman, Gary M Hunninghake

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Rationale: Some with interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) are suspected to have interstitial lung disease (ILD), a subgroup with adverse outcomes. Rates of development and progression of suspected ILD and their effect on mortality are unknown. Objectives: To determine rates of development, progression, and mortality in those with suspected ILD and assess effects of individual ILD and progression criteria.

Methods: Participants from COPDGene (Genetic Epidemiology of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) with ILA characterization and FVC at enrollment and 5-year follow-up were included. ILD was defined as ILA and fibrosis and/or FVC < 80% predicted. Prevalent ILD was assessed at enrollment and incident ILD and progression were assessed at 5-year follow-up. Computed tomography (CT) progression was assessed visually and FVC decline as relative change. Multivariable Cox regression tested associations between mortality and prevalent ILD, incident ILD, and progression groups.

Measurements and Main Results: Of 9,588 participants at enrollment, 268 …

Improving Food Security To Decrease Hypertension At An Urban Community Clinic, Christine S. Villalta

Master's Projects and Capstones

Diet and lifestyle changes have been proven to reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension, and a key dietary approach aligned with this recommendation is the DASH diet, which includes consuming fruits and vegetables. Food insecurity, defined as lacking enough safe, nutritious food to maintain an active and healthy life, is a growing crisis in the United States, affecting 13.5% of U.S. households in 2023. This is especially significant for those whose chronic disease management depends on the accessibility of healthy food. An urban community clinic implemented a Food Security Program to decrease food insecurity and reduce hypertension among their …

Cardiac Effects And Comorbidities Of Neurological Diseases, Bi̇lgi̇n Öztürk

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Neurological disorders encompass a complex and heterogeneous spectrum of diseases affecting the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system, each presenting unique challenges that extend well beyond primary neurological symptoms. These disorders profoundly impact cardiovascular health, prompting an intensified exploration into the intricate interconnections between the neurological and cardiovascular systems. This review synthesizes current insights and research on cardiovascular comorbidities associated with major neurological conditions, including stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and Alzheimer’s disease.The cardiovascular sequelae of these neurological disorders are multifactorial. For instance, strokes not only predispose individuals to arrhythmia and heart failure but also exacerbate pre-existing …

Hematological Diseases And Heart, Ferda Can

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

The heart, main part of the circulatory system, is one of the organs that frequently affected in hematological diseases. Cardiac problems may develop during the course and treatment of benign and malign hematological diseases. Determining cardiac approaches in hematological diseases with knowledge and experience about the development of cardiac involvements with pathophysiological conditions has an important role in the diagnosis and treatment process of patients. In this section, information about hematological diseases and the heart is included, and key points that will help in the diagnosis and treatment process are mentioned.

Food Security And Its Impact On Hypertension In Urban Communities, Lauren M. Nobriga

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Quality Improvement Team proposed an intervention to increase enrollment in the Food Security Program, a six-month initiative that provides vouchers redeemable for fruits and vegetables. Long-term impacts of this Program include an improved food economy and enhanced patient disease management autonomy. This project aimed to increase the percentage of eligible adult medicine clinic patients enrolled in the Food Security Program by 25%, or 11 patients per month, based on the mean enrollment for the first four months of the Program (May to August) of nine patients. The intervention was based on bi-monthly performance reports, making the goal include enrolling …

Diversity And Characteristics Of The Oral Microbiome Associated With Self-Reported Ancestral/Ethnic Groups, Qingguo Wang, Bing-Yan Wang, She'neka Williams, Hua Xie

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Periodontitis disproportionately affects genetic ancestral/ethnic groups. To characterize the oral microbiome from different genetic ancestral/ethnic groups, we collected 161 dental plaque samples from self-identified African Americans (AAs), Caucasian Americans (CAs), and Hispanic Americans (HAs) with clinical gingival health or biofilm-induced gingivitis on an intact periodontium. DNA was extracted from these samples, and then DNA libraries were prepared and sequenced using an Illumina NovaSeq high-throughput sequencer. We found significant differences in the diversity and abundance of microbial taxa among dental plaque samples of the AA, CA, and HA groups. We also identified unique microbial species in a self-reported ancestral/ethnic group. Moreover, …

Nomenclature For Human And Animal Fungal Pathogens And Diseases: A Proposal For Standardized Terminology, Sybren De Hoog, Thomas J Walsh, Sarah A Ahmed, Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo, Maiken Cavling Arendrup, Andrew Borman, Sharon Chen, Anuradha Chowdhary, Robert C Colgrove, Oliver A Cornely, David W Denning, Philippe J Dufresne, Laura Filkins, Jean-Pierre Gangneux, Josepa Gené, Andreas H Groll, Jaques Guillot, Gerhard Haase, Catriona Halliday, David L Hawksworth, Roderick Hay, Martin Hoenigl, Vit Hubka, Tomasz Jagielski, Hazal Kandemir, Sarah E Kidd, Julianne V Kus, June Kwon-Chung, Shawn R Lockhart, Jacques F Meis, Leonel Mendoza, Wieland Meyer, M Hong Nguyen, Yinggai Song, Tania C Sorrell, J Benjamin Stielow, Rachel Vilela, Roxana G Vitale, Nancy L Wengenack, P Lewis White, Luis Ostrosky-Zeichner, Sean X Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Medically important pathogenic fungi invade vertebrate tissue and are considered primary when part of their nature life cycle is associated with an animal host and are usually able to infect immunocompetent hosts. Opportunistic fungal pathogens complete their life cycle in environmental habitats or occur as commensals within or on the vertebrate body, but under certain conditions can thrive upon infecting humans. The extent of host damage in opportunistic infections largely depends on the portal and modality of entry as well as on the host's immune and metabolic status. Diseases caused by primary pathogens and common opportunists, causing the top approximately …

Diagnostic Power Of Serum Creatinine/Cystatin C Ratio For Identifying Low Mri-Muscle Volume And Low Grip Strength: Data From 9 731 To 149 707 Uk Biobank Older Adults, Ben Kirk, Chia Ling Kuo, Peiran Liu, Meiruo Xiang, Jesse Zanker, Konstantinos Prokopidis, Marc Sim, Richard H. Fortinsky, George A. Kuchel, Gustavo Duque

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Biomarkers for sarcopenia are lacking. We examined the diagnostic power of serum creatinine to cystatin C ratio for identifying low magnetic resonance imaging-muscle volume and low grip strength in a large observational study of UK Biobank older adults.

Methods: Serum creatinine and cystatin C were measured via immunoassays (Beckman Coulter AU5800 and Siemens Advia 1800, respectively) and grip strength by hydraulic hand dynamometer at baseline visit (2008-2010). magnetic resonance imaging-thigh fat-free muscle volume and DXA-derived appendicular lean mass were measured at imaging visit (2014-2018). Extreme outliers were removed, and covariates (demographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors, as well as time …

Factors Associated With Morbidity Of Totally Implantable Venous Access Device In Patients With Breast Cancer, Burak İlhan, Berkay Kiliç

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: To investigate the possible morbidities associated with the implantation of a totally implantable venous access device (TIVAD) in breast cancer (BC) patients.Materials and methods: Clinical data and developed complications in 546 BC patients with TIVAD between 2017 and 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Among these patients, 524 (96.0%) patients who underwent TIVAD implantation via the right subclavian vein (SCV) route were examined separately.Results: The mean patient age was 56.1±11.4 years, and the mean patient body mass index was 25.3±6.5. The incidence of early complications was 2.3% (12 cases), and late complications were 2.6% (14 cases). Among these complications, 10 (1.9%) …

Achillea Millefolium Ameliorates Doxorubicin-Induced Renal Injury Via Inhibition Of Oxidative Stress And Inflammation In Rats, Mohammed Shaiea, Yi̇mi̇ng Dong, Saleh Alomisy, Hassan Al-Mahbashi, Guozhong Zhang, Chuan Wang

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Doxorubicin (Dox) is a potent anticancer medication. Nevertheless, due to nephrotoxicity, its clinical application is restricted. Achillea millefolium (AM) is a traditional medicine used against several disturbances, including kidney disorders. Therefore, this work aims to investigate the preventative properties of AM extract (AME) and their mechanisms against nephrotoxicity caused by Dox in rats. Materials and methods: The rats were assigned randomly to six groups, including a control group, Dox group (5 mg/kg/week via i.p. for 4 weeks), two groups, AME (100 or 200 mg/kg, orally for 28 days), and the last two groups, Dox+ AME (100 or 200 mg/kg, …

Ai-Enabled Wearable Cameras For Assisting Dietary Assessment In African Populations, Frank P-W Lo, Jianing Qiu, Modou L Jobarteh, Yingnan Sun, Zeyu Wang, Shuo Jiang, Tom Baranowski, Alex K Anderson, Megan A Mccrory, Edward Sazonov, Wenyan Jia, Mingui Sun, Matilda Steiner-Asiedu, Gary Frost, Benny Lo

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

We have developed a population-level method for dietary assessment using low-cost wearable cameras. Our approach, EgoDiet, employs an egocentric vision-based pipeline to learn portion sizes, addressing the shortcomings of traditional self-reported dietary methods. To evaluate the functionality of this method, field studies were conducted in London (Study A) and Ghana (Study B) among populations of Ghanaian and Kenyan origin. In Study A, EgoDiet's estimations were contrasted with dietitians' assessments, revealing a performance with a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 31.9% for portion size estimation, compared to 40.1% for estimates made by dietitians. We further evaluated our approach in Study …

Integrative Multi-Omics Analysis Uncovers Tumor-Immune-Gut Axis Influencing Immunotherapy Outcomes In Ovarian Cancer, Spencer R Rosario, Mark D Long, Shanmuga Chilakapati, Eduardo Cortes Gomez, Sebastiano Battaglia, Prashant K Singh, Jianmin Wang, Katy Wang, Kristopher Attwood, Suzanne M Hess, A J Robert Mcgray, Kunle Odunsi, Brahm H Segal, Gyorgy Paragh, Song Liu, Jennifer A Wargo, Emese Zsiros

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recurrent ovarian cancer patients, especially those resistant to platinum, lack effective curative treatments. To address this, we conducted a phase 2 clinical trial (NCT02853318) combining pembrolizumab with bevacizumab, to increase T cell infiltration into the tumor, and oral cyclophosphamide, to reduce the number of regulatory T cells. The trial accrued 40 heavily pretreated recurrent ovarian cancer patients. The primary endpoint, progression free survival, was extended to a median of 10.2 months. The secondary endpoints demonstrated an objective response rate of 47.5%, and disease control in 30% of patients for over a year while maintaining a good quality of life. We …

Adiposity Throughout Adulthood And Risk Of Young-Onset Breast Cancer Tumor Subtypes In The Young Women's Health History Study, Lydia Marcus Post, Dorothy R. Pathak, Ann S. Hamilton, Kelly A. Hirko, Richard T. Houang, Emily H. Guseman, Dan Sanfelippo, Nicole Bohme Carnegie, L. Karl Olson, Hallgeir Rui, Ann G. Schwartz, Ellen M. Velie

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The role of adult adiposity in young-onset breast cancer (YOBC) subtype risk is not well understood.

METHODS: In this population-based case (n = 1812)-control (n = 1,381) study of invasive YOBC (ages <50 >years), cases were identified from the Los Angeles County and Metropolitan Detroit Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries, 2010 to 2015. Area-based, frequency-matched controls were sampled from the 2010 Census. General adiposity [body mass index (BMI)] and central adiposity (waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio) across adulthood and covariates were collected from in-person interviews and measurements. ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for adiposity and YOBC tumor subtypes …

Urinary Metal Levels, Cognitive Test Performance, And Dementia In The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Arce Domingo-Relloso, Katlyn E Mcgraw, Susan R Heckbert, Jose A Luchsinger, Kathrin Schilling, Ronald A Glabonjat, Irene Martinez-Morata, Melanie Mayer, Yongmei Liu, Alexis C Wood, Jeff Goldsmith, Kathleen M Hayden, Mohamad Habes, Ilya M Nasrallah, R Nick Bryan, Tanweer Rashid, Wendy S Post, Jerome I Rotter, Priya Palta, Linda Valeri, Timothy M Hughes, Ana Navas-Acien

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Metals are established neurotoxicants, but evidence of their association with cognitive performance at low chronic exposure levels is limited.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of urinary metal levels, individually and as a mixture, with cognitive tests and dementia diagnosis, including effect modification by apolipoprotein ε4 allele (APOE4).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The multicenter prospective cohort Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) was started from July 2000 to August 2002, with follow-up through 2018. A total of 6303 MESA participants were included. Data analysis was performed from October 12, 2023, to June 13, 2024.

EXPOSURE: Urine samples were collected at baseline …

The Study Of The Epidemiology Of Pediatric Hypertension Registry (Superhero): Rationale And Methods, Andrew M South, Victoria C Giammattei, Kiri W Bagley, Christine Y Bakhoum, William H Beasley, Morgan B Bily, Shupti Biswas, Aaron M Bridges, Rushelle L Byfield, Jessica Fallon Campbell, Rahul Chanchlani, Ashton Chen, Lucy D'Agostino Mcgowan, Stephen M Downs, Gina M Fergeson, Jason H Greenberg, Taylor A Hill-Horowitz, Elizabeth T Jensen, Mahmoud Kallash, Margret Kamel, Stefan G Kiessling, David M Kline, John R Laisure, Gang Liu, Jackson Londeree, Caroline B Lucas, Sai Sudha Mannemuddhu, Kuo-Rei Mao, Jason M Misurac, Margaret O Murphy, James T Nugent, Elizabeth A Onugha, Ashna Pudupakkam, Kathy M Redmond, Sandeep Riar, Christine B Sethna, Sahar Siddiqui, Ashley L Thumann, Stephen R Uss, Carol L Vincent, Irina V Viviano, Michael J Walsh, Blanche D White, Robert P Woroniecki, Michael Wu, Ikuyo Yamaguchi, Emily Yun, Donald J Weaver

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Despite increasing prevalence of hypertension in youth and high adult cardiovascular mortality rates, the long-term consequences of youth-onset hypertension remain unknown. This is due to limitations of prior research, such as small sample sizes, reliance on manual record review, and limited analytic methods, that did not address major biases. The Study of the Epidemiology of Pediatric Hypertension (SUPERHERO) is a multisite, retrospective registry of youth evaluated by subspecialists for hypertension disorders. Sites obtain harmonized electronic health record data using standardized biomedical informatics scripts validated with randomized manual record review. Inclusion criteria are index visit for International Classification of Diseases, 10th …

Microbiome Variation In Production Phenotypes And The Role Of Colonization History In Microbiome Establishment, Seidu Adams

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Ruminant-based agriculture is expected to continue to be a major contributor to food security to feed the growing population. At the heart of nutrient degradation of complex organic matter within the rumen are its microbes. These microbes can convert otherwise unusable organic matter into usable protein and energy and can provide up to 50% of the animal’s protein needs and up to 70% of the energy needs. The microbial functional capacity within the rumen determines the nutrients utilized and the end products of fermentation. However, our understanding of microbial functional capacity within the rumen and factors that influence the rumen …

Targeting The Glutamine-Arginine-Proline Metabolism Axis In Cancer, Di Wang, Jiang-Jie Duan, Yu-Feng Guo, Jun-Jie Chen, Tian-Qing Chen, Jun Wang, Shi-Cang Yu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Metabolic abnormalities are an important feature of tumours. The glutamine-arginine-proline axis is an important node of cancer metabolism and plays a major role in amino acid metabolism. This axis also acts as a scaffold for the synthesis of other nonessential amino acids and essential metabolites. In this paper, we briefly review (1) the glutamine addiction exhibited by tumour cells with accelerated glutamine transport and metabolism; (2) the methods regulating extracellular glutamine entry, intracellular glutamine synthesis and the fate of intracellular glutamine; (3) the glutamine, proline and arginine metabolic pathways and their interaction; and (4) the research progress in tumour therapy …

Assessing The Predictive Power Of Nutritional Indices On All-Cause And Cardiovascular Mortality In Hemodialysis Patients: A Longitudinal Study, Qian Wang, Zengchun Ye, Jialing Rao, Wenbo Zhao, Jianqiang Liu, Yanru Chen, Juncheng Xiang, Xin Zhen, Jiawen Li, Yunfang Zhang, Xianrui Dou, Zhaoyong Hu, Jun Zhang, Hui Peng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: The prognostic value of nutritional scoring tools in assessing the relationship between nutritional status and prognosis in hemodialysis patients is unclear. This multicenter retrospective cohort study compared the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), Controlling Nutritional Status scores (CONUT), and Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) for predictive accuracy of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, especially the impact of dynamic changes over time on prognosis.

METHODS: Hemodialysis patients from four hospitals were included. Laboratory data and nutrition scores were collected at the initiation of dialysis, and at 6th, 12th, and 18th months after dialysis initiation. A joint model analyzed the relationship …

Diabetter Together: Clinical Trial Protocol For A Strengths-Based Peer Mentor Intervention For Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes Transitioning To Adult Care, Samantha A Carreon, Charles G Minard, Sarah K Lyons, Wendy Levy, Stephanie Camey, Kishan Desai, Brenda Duran, Randi Streisand, Barbara J Anderson, Siripoom V Mckay, Tricia S Tang, Sridevi Devaraj, Ryan Ramphul, Marisa E Hilliard

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) management is challenging for young adults, who are expected to transfer from the pediatric to adult T1D healthcare system while also managing typical developmental demands (e.g., social, financial, work/school, residential). Many young adults have extended gaps in care before following up in adult care, increasing risk for poor health outcomes. There are few evidence-based programs to support young adults with T1D to promote a timelier transition during this period. This paper reports on the design of DiaBetter Together, a randomized controlled trial to evaluate a 12-month Peer Mentor-delivered intervention compared to usual care among young …

Chronic Β3-Ar Stimulation Activates Distinct Thermogenic Mechanisms In Brown And White Adipose Tissue And Improves Systemic Metabolism In Aged Mice, Duraipandy Natarajan, Bhuvana Plakkot, Kritika Tiwari, Shoba Ekambaram, Weidong Wang, Michael Rudolph, Mahmoud A Mohammad, Shaji K Chacko, Madhan Subramanian, Stefano Tarantini, Andriy Yabluchanskiy, Zoltan Ungvari, Anna Csiszar, Priya Balasubramanian

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Adipose thermogenesis has been actively investigated as a therapeutic target for improving metabolic dysfunction in obesity. However, its applicability to middle-aged and older populations, which bear the highest obesity prevalence in the United States (approximately 40%), remains uncertain due to age-related decline in thermogenic responses. In this study, we investigated the effects of chronic thermogenic stimulation using the β3-adrenergic (AR) agonist CL316,243 (CL) on systemic metabolism and adipose function in aged (18-month-old) C57BL/6JN mice. Sustained β3-AR treatment resulted in reduced fat mass, increased energy expenditure, increased fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial activity in adipose depots, improved glucose homeostasis, and a …

Relative Uptake Of Tomato Carotenoids By In Vitro Intestinal And Prostate Cancer Cells, Nancy E Moran, Brianna Alexander, Shivi Garg, Nathan Marchant, Noor A Hason

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Consumption of tomatoes and tomato carotenoids is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Prostate tissue accumulates tomato carotenoids, including lycopene, β-carotene, and phytoene. Phytoene accumulation is relatively greater in the prostate than that of lycopene, but the metabolic determinants of tissue carotenoid profiles are poorly understood.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine if differences in stability, cellular uptake, and clearance of phytoene compared with lycopene or β-carotene by prostate and intestinal cells may explain differences in observed tissue carotenoid profiles.

Methods: Gene and protein expression for carotenoid metabolism in prostate cell lines were analyzed …

Are Prediction Models Moving Closer To Clinical Application In The Diagnosis Of Type Of Diabetes In Youth?, Fida Bacha

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Associations Between Metabolic Disorders And Sjögren’S Disease, Chihiro Iwaya, Junichi Iwata

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Sjögren’s disease (SjD) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by dry eyes and mouth caused by chronic inflammation and is often accompanied by various extra-glandular manifestations, including fatigue and diffuse pain. Although the pathogenesis of the disease remains elusive, several factors (e.g. environmental, genetic and hormonal factors, abnormal metabolic status) are associated with this condition. Accumulating evidence suggests a potential role of cholesterol metabolism in immune and non-immune modulation in various diseases. In this review, we summarize the current findings on the associations between cholesterol metabolism and SjD.

The Life And Discoveries Of Yellapragada Subbarow, Nikhil R, Varuni Pragya, Subramanian Ramaswamy, Shiva Prasad B N, Mahabaleshwar Mamadapur

Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine

Dr. Yellapragada Subbarow was a researcher, teacher, and a wizard of wonder drugs who constantly made efforts in the discoveries/ inventions such as vitamins, anti-vitamins, antibiotics, and many more by disentangling the mysteries of nature for the betterment of the people. He inspired the youngsters to take up the challenges and to stand up above mediocrity. The reward for his achievement was delayed. The article describes a true humanist's journey, discoveries, and his achievements that are largely unknown to date.

Three Decades Of Rat Genomics: Approaching The Finish(Ed) Line, Theodore S Kalbfleisch, Melissa L Smith, Julia L Ciosek, Kai Li, Peter A Doris

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

The rat, Rattus norvegicus, has provided an important model for investigation of a range of characteristics of biomedical importance. Here we survey the origins of this species, its introduction into laboratory research, and the emergence of genetic and genomic methods that utilize this model organism. Genomic studies have yielded important progress and provided new insight into several biologically important traits. However, some studies have been impeded by the lack of a complete and accurate reference genome for this species. New sequencing and genome assembly methods applied to the rat have resulted in a new reference genome assembly, GRCr8, which …