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Gut Microbiota, Blood Metabolites, And Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction In Us Hispanics/Latinos, Kai Luo, Alkis Taryn, Eun-Hye Moon, Brandilyn A Peters, Scott D Solomon, Martha L Daviglus, Mayank M Kansal, Bharat Thyagarajan, Marc D Gellman, Jianwen Cai, Robert D Burk, Rob Knight, Robert C Kaplan, Susan Cheng, Carlos J Rodriguez, Qibin Qi, Bing Yu

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is an important precursor of heart failure (HF), but little is known about its relationship with gut dysbiosis and microbial-related metabolites. By leveraging the multi-omics data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), a study with population at high burden of LVDD, we aimed to characterize gut microbiota associated with LVDD and identify metabolite signatures of gut dysbiosis and incident LVDD.

RESULTS: We included up to 1996 Hispanic/Latino adults (mean age: 59.4 years; 67.1% female) with comprehensive echocardiography assessments, gut microbiome, and blood metabolome data. LVDD was defined through a composite criterion …

Evaluation Of Fusobacterium Nucleatum Enoyl-Acp Reductase (Fabk) As A Narrow-Spectrum Drug Target, Jacob T Rutherford, Kristiana Avad, Chetna Dureja, Krissada Norseeda, Bibek Gc, Chenggang Wu, Dianqing Sun, Kirk E Hevener, Julian G Hurdle

Journal Articles

Fusobacterium nucleatum, a pathobiont inhabiting the oral cavity, contributes to opportunistic diseases, such as periodontal diseases and gastrointestinal cancers, which involve microbiota imbalance. Broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents, while effective against F. nucleatum infections, can exacerbate dysbiosis. This necessitates the discovery of more targeted narrow-spectrum antimicrobial agents. We therefore investigated the potential for the fusobacterial enoyl-ACP reductase II (ENR II) isoenzyme FnFabK (C4N14_ 04250) as a narrow-spectrum drug target. ENRs catalyze the rate-limiting step in the bacterial fatty acid synthesis pathway. Bioinformatics revealed that of the four distinct bacterial ENR isoforms, F. nucleatum specifically encodes FnFabK. Genetic studies revealed …

Mapping Of Alzheimer’S Disease Related Data Elements And The Nih Common Data Elements, Xubing Hao, Rashmie Abeysinghe, Fengbo Zheng, Paul E Schulz, The Alzheimer’S Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Licong Cui

Journal Articles

Background

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a devastating disease that destroys memory and other cognitive functions. There has been an increasing research effort to prevent and treat AD. In the US, two major data sharing resources for AD research are the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI); Additionally, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Data Elements (CDE) Repository has been developed to facilitate data sharing and improve the interoperability among data sets in various disease research areas.

Method

To better understand how AD-related data elements in these resources are interoperable with each other, we …

Unsupervised Deep Representation Learning Enables Phenotype Discovery For Genetic Association Studies Of Brain Imaging, Khush Patel, Ziqian Xie, Hao Yuan, Sheikh Muhammad Saiful Islam, Yaochen Xie, Wei He, Wanheng Zhang, Assaf Gottlieb, Han Chen, Luca Giancardo, Alexander Knaack, Evan Fletcher, Myriam Fornage, Shuiwang Ji, Degui Zhi

Journal Articles

Understanding the genetic architecture of brain structure is challenging, partly due to difficulties in designing robust, non-biased descriptors of brain morphology. Until recently, brain measures for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) consisted of traditionally expert-defined or software-derived image-derived phenotypes (IDPs) that are often based on theoretical preconceptions or computed from limited amounts of data. Here, we present an approach to derive brain imaging phenotypes using unsupervised deep representation learning. We train a 3-D convolutional autoencoder model with reconstruction loss on 6130 UK Biobank (UKBB) participants' T1 or T2-FLAIR (T2) brain MRIs to create a 128-dimensional representation known as Unsupervised Deep learning …

Gut Microbiota And Blood Metabolites Related To Fiber Intake And Type 2 Diabetes, Zheng Wang, Brandilyn A Peters, Bing Yu, Megan L Grove, Tao Wang, Xiaonan Xue, Bharat Thyagarajan, Martha L Daviglus, Eric Boerwinkle, Gang Hu, Yasmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Carmen R Isasi, Rob Knight, Robert D Burk, Robert C Kaplan, Qibin Qi

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Consistent evidence suggests diabetes-protective effects of dietary fiber intake. However, the underlying mechanisms, particularly the role of gut microbiota and host circulating metabolites, are not fully understood. We aimed to investigate gut microbiota and circulating metabolites associated with dietary fiber intake and their relationships with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODS: This study included up to 11 394 participants from the HCHS/SOL (Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos). Diet was assessed with two 24-hour dietary recalls at baseline. We examined associations of dietary fiber intake with gut microbiome measured by shotgun metagenomics (350 species/85 genera and 1958 enzymes; n=2992 at …

Amino Acid Formula Induces Microbiota Dysbiosis And Depressive-Like Behavior In Mice, Ji Hu, Kaixin He, Yifei Yang, Chuan Huang, Yiping Dou, Hao Wang, Guorong Zhang, Jingyuan Wang, Chaoshi Niu, Guoqiang Bi, Lan Zhang, Shu Zhu

Journal Articles

Amino acid formula (AAF) is increasingly consumed in infants with cow's milk protein allergy; however, the long-term influences on health are less described. In this study, we established a mouse model by subjecting neonatal mice to an amino acid diet (AAD) to mimic the feeding regimen of infants on AAF. Surprisingly, AAD-fed mice exhibited dysbiotic microbiota and increased neuronal activity in both the intestine and brain, as well as gastrointestinal peristalsis disorders and depressive-like behavior. Furthermore, fecal microbiota transplantation from AAD-fed mice or AAF-fed infants to recipient mice led to elevated neuronal activations and exacerbated depressive-like behaviors compared to that …

Pilot Implementation Of A Nutrition-Focused Community-Health-Worker Intervention Among Formerly Chronically Homeless Adults In Permanent Supportive Housing, Jane E Hamilton, Diana C Guevara, Sara F Steinfeld, Raina Jose, Farrah Hmaidan, Sarah Simmons, Calvin W Wong, Clara Smith, Eva Thibaudeau-Graczyk, Shreela V Sharma

Journal Articles

Food insecurity is a known health equity threat for formerly chronically homeless populations even after they transition into permanent housing. This project utilized a human-centered design methodology to plan and implement a nutrition-focused community-health-worker (CHW) intervention in permanent supportive housing (PSH). The project aimed to increase access to healthy foods, improve nutritional literacy, healthy cooking/eating practices, and build community/social connectedness among 140 PSH residents. Validated food-security screening conducted by CHWs identified low or very low food security among 64% of 83 residents who completed the baseline survey, which is similar to rates found in a previous study among formerly homeless …

Lifestyle Management Of Hypertension: International Society Of Hypertension Position Paper Endorsed By The World Hypertension League And European Society Of Hypertension, Fadi J Charchar, Priscilla R Prestes, Charlotte Mills, Siew Mooi Ching, Dinesh Neupane, Francine Z Marques, James E Sharman, Liffert Vogt, Louise M Burrell, Lyudmila Korostovtseva, Manja Zec, Mansi Patil, Martin G Schultz, Matthew P Wallen, Nicolás F Renna, Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam, Swapnil Hiremath, Tshewang Gyeltshen, Yook-Chin Chia, Abhinav Gupta, Aletta E Schutte, Britt Klein, Claudio Borghi, Colette J Browning, Marta Czesnikiewicz-Guzik, Hae-Young Lee, Hiroshi Itoh, Katsuyuki Miura, Mattias Brunström, Norm R C Campbell, Olutope Arinola Akinnibossun, Praveen Veerabhadrappa, Richard D Wainford, Ruan Kruger, Shane A Thomas, Takahiro Komori, Udaya Ralapanawa, Véronique A Cornelissen, Vikas Kapil, Yan Li, Yuqing Zhang, Tazeen H Jafar, Nadia Khan, Bryan Williams, George Stergiou, Maciej Tomaszewski

Journal Articles

Hypertension, defined as persistently elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) >140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at least 90 mmHg (International Society of Hypertension guidelines), affects over 1.5 billion people worldwide. Hypertension is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events (e.g. coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke) and death. An international panel of experts convened by the International Society of Hypertension College of Experts compiled lifestyle management recommendations as first-line strategy to prevent and control hypertension in adulthood. We also recommend that lifestyle changes be continued even when blood pressure-lowering medications are prescribed. Specific recommendations based on …

Osteoarthritis Disease Severity In The Temporomandibular Joint And The Knee Joint: A Comparative Cadaveric Study, Jessica A Immonen, Jason Ciccotelli, Linh M Nguyen, Lesley Gilmer, Landen Broadhead, Mackenzie Kitchen, Conner Paul, Jeremy James

Journal Articles

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the level of disease severity in a pilot cohort of temporomandibular joints (TMJs) and compare them to the pathology findings previously characterized in cadaveric knee joints.

DESIGN: Thirty-one intact TMJs from 17 cadaveric donors were harvested and arthritic lesioning seen in the knee joint was investigated on the condyle and the fossa of the TMJ. Prevalence of gross alterations was equated and disease severity was determined for sex- and age-based donor pools using a validated, osteoarthritis (OA) disease severity scale (DSS). Knee joint DSS scores were also compared to the TMJ …

Dopamine, Norepinephrine And Serotonin Participate Differently In Methylphenidate Action In Concomitant Behavioral And Ventral Tegmental Area, Locus Coeruleus And Dorsal Raphe Neuronal Study In Young Rats, Cruz Reyes-Vasquez, Zachary Jones, Bin Tang, Nachum Dafny

Journal Articles

Methylphenidate (MPD), known as Ritalin, is a psychostimulant used to treat children, adults, and the elderly. MPD exerts its effects through increasing concentrations of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and serotonin (5-HT) in the synaptic cleft. Concomitant behavioral and neuronal recording from the ventral tegmental area (VTA), locus coeruleus (LC), and from the dorsal raphe (DR) nucleus, which are the sources of DA, NE, and 5-HT to the mesocorticolimbic circuit, were investigated following acute and repetitive (chronic) saline, 0.6, 2.5, or 10.0 mg/kg MPD. Animals received daily saline or MPD administration on experimental days 1 to 6 (ED1–6), followed by a …

Catalase Produced By Candida Albicans Protects Streptococcus Mutans From H2o2 Stress-One More Piece In The Cross-Kingdom Synergism Puzzle, Callahan Katrak, Bruna A Garcia, Louise M Dornelas-Figueira, Mary Nguyen, Robert B Williams, Michael C Lorenz, Jacqueline Abranches

Journal Articles

Co-infection with Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans is associated with dental caries, and their co-cultivation results in enhanced biofilm matrix production that contributes to increased virulence and caries risk. Moreover, the catalase-negative S. mutans demonstrates increased oxidative stress tolerance when co-cultivated in biofilms with C. albicans, a catalase-producing yeast. Here, we sought to obtain mechanistic insights into the increased H2O2 tolerance of S. mutans when co-cultivated with clinical isolates of Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, and C. albicans. Additionally, the C. albicans SC5314 laboratory strain, its catalase mutant (SC5314Δcat1), and S. mutans UA159 and its glucosyltransferase B/C …

Cd13 Facilitates Immune Cell Migration And Aggravates Acute Injury But Promotes Chronic Post-Stroke Recovery, Justin N Nguyen, Eric C Mohan, Gargee Pandya, Uzma Ali, Chunfeng Tan, Julia K Kofler, Linda Shapiro, Sean P Marrelli, Anjali Chauhan

Journal Articles

Introduction

Acute stroke leads to the activation of myeloid cells. These cells express adhesion molecules and transmigrate to the brain, thereby aggravating injury. Chronically after stroke, repair processes, including angiogenesis, are activated and enhance post-stroke recovery. Activated myeloid cells express CD13, which facilitates their migration into the site of injury. However, angiogenic blood vessels which play a role in recovery also express CD13. Overall, the specific contribution of CD13 to acute and chronic stroke outcomes is unknown.

Methods

CD13 expression was estimated in both mice and humans after the ischemic stroke. Young (8–12 weeks) male wild-type and global CD13 knockout …

Patient Shielding During Dentomaxillofacial Radiography: Recommendations From The American Academy Of Oral And Maxillofacial Radiology, Erika Benavides, Avni Bhula, Anita Gohel, Alan G Lurie, Sanjay M Mallya, Aruna Ramesh, Donald A Tyndall

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: The American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology established an ad hoc committee to draft evidence-based recommendations and clinical guidance for the application of patient contact shielding during dentomaxillofacial imaging.

TYPES OF STUDIES REVIEWED: The committee reviewed monographs and reports from radiation protection organizations and studies that reported radiation dose to gonads, breasts, and thyroid gland from dentomaxillofacial imaging.

RESULTS: Considering the absence of radiation-induced heritable effects in humans and the negligible dose to the gonads and fetus from dentomaxillofacial imaging, the committee recommends discontinuing shielding of the gonads, pelvic structures, and fetuses during all dentomaxillofacial radiographic imaging procedures. …

An Ontology-Based Approach For Harmonization And Cross-Cohort Query Of Alzheimer’S Disease Data Resources, Xubing Hao, Xiaojin Li, Guo-Qiang Zhang, Cui Tao, Paul E Schulz, Licong Cui

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: In the United States, the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) are two major data sharing resources for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) research. NACC and ADNI strive to make their data more FAIR (findable, interoperable, accessible and reusable) for the broader research community. However, there is limited work harmonizing and supporting cross-cohort interoperability of the two resources.

METHOD: In this paper, we leverage an ontology-based approach to harmonize data elements in the two resources and develop a web-based query system to search patient cohorts across the two resources. We first mapped data elements across …

Difficult Or Impossible Facemask Ventilation In Children With Difficult Tracheal Intubation: A Retrospective Analysis Of The Pedi Registry, Annery G Garcia-Marcinkiewicz, Lisa K Lee, Bishr Haydar, John E Fiadjoe, Clyde T Matava, Pete G Kovatsis, James Peyton, Mary L Stein, Raymond Park, Brad M Taicher, Thomas W Templeton

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Difficult facemask ventilation is perilous in children whose tracheas are difficult to intubate. We hypothesised that certain physical characteristics and anaesthetic factors are associated with difficult mask ventilation in paediatric patients who also had difficult tracheal intubation.

METHODS: We queried a multicentre registry for children who experienced "difficult" or "impossible" facemask ventilation. Patient and case factors known before mask ventilation attempt were included for consideration in this regularised multivariable regression analysis. Incidence of complications, and frequency and efficacy of rescue placement of a supraglottic airway device were also tabulated. Changes in quality of mask ventilation after injection of a …

One Population, Multiple Lifestyles: Commensalism And Pathogenesis In The Human Mycobiome, Diana M Proctor, Rebecca A Drummond, Michail S Lionakis, Julia A Segre

Journal Articles

Candida auris and Candida albicans can result in invasive fungal diseases. And yet, these species can stably and asymptomatically colonize human skin and gastrointestinal tracts. To consider these disparate microbial lifestyles, we first review factors shown to influence the underlying microbiome. Structured by the damage response framework, we then consider the molecular mechanisms deployed by C. albicans to switch between commensal and pathogenic lifestyles. Next, we explore this framework with C. auris to highlight how host physiology, immunity, and/or antibiotic receipt are associated with progression from colonization to infection. While treatment with antibiotics increases the risk an individual will succumb …

Plasma Metabolites Associated With Cognitive Function Across Race/Ethnicities Affirming The Importance Of Healthy Nutrition, Einat Granot-Hershkovitz, Shan He, Jan Bressler, Bing Yu, Wassim Tarraf, Casey M Rebholz, Jianwen Cai, Queenie Chan, Tanya P Garcia, Thomas Mosley, Bruce S Kristal, Charles Decarli, Myriam Fornage, Guo-Chong Chen, Qibin Qi, Robert Kaplan, Hector M González, Tamar Sofer

Journal Articles

INTRODUCTION: We studied the replication and generalization of previously identified metabolites potentially associated with global cognitive function in multiple race/ethnicities and assessed the contribution of diet to these associations.

METHODS: We tested metabolite-cognitive function associations in U.S.A. Hispanic/Latino adults (n = 2222) from the Community Health Study/ Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) and in European (n = 1365) and African (n = 478) Americans from the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) Study. We applied Mendelian Randomization (MR) analyses to assess causal associations between the metabolites and cognitive function and between Mediterranean diet and cognitive function.

RESULTS: Six metabolites were consistently associated …

Pembrolizumab And Cabozantinib In Recurrent Metastatic Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Phase 2 Trial, Nabil F Saba, Conor E Steuer, Asari Ekpenyong, Ashley Mccook-Veal, Kelly Magliocca, Mihir Patel, Nicole C Schmitt, William Stokes, James E Bates, Soumon Rudra, Jill Remick, Mark Mcdonald, Marin Abousaud, Aik Choon Tan, Muhammad Zaki Hidayatullah Fadlullah, Ritu Chaudhary, Jameel Muzaffar, Kedar Kirtane, Yuan Liu, Georgia Z Chen, Dong M Shin, Yong Teng, Christine H Chung

Journal Articles

Anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy is a standard of care in recurrent metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (RMHNSCC). Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors, have immunomodulatory properties and have offered promising results when combined with anti-PD-1 agents. We conducted a phase 2, multicenter, single-arm trial of pembrolizumab and cabozantinib in patients with RMHNSCC who had Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v.1.1 measurable disease and no contraindications to either agent. We assessed the primary end points of tolerability and overall response rate to the combination with secondary end points of progression-free survival and …

Linoleic Acid Improves Piezo2 Dysfunction In A Mouse Model Of Angelman Syndrome, Luis O Romero, Rebeca Caires, A Kaitlyn Victor, Juanma Ramirez, Francisco J Sierra-Valdez, Patrick Walsh, Vincent Truong, Jungsoo Lee, Ugo Mayor, Lawrence T Reiter, Valeria Vásquez, Julio F Cordero-Morales

Journal Articles

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability and atypical behaviors. AS results from loss of expression of the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase UBE3A from the maternal allele in neurons. Individuals with AS display impaired coordination, poor balance, and gait ataxia. PIEZO2 is a mechanosensitive ion channel essential for coordination and balance. Here, we report that PIEZO2 activity is reduced in Ube3a deficient male and female mouse sensory neurons, a human Merkel cell carcinoma cell line and female human iPSC-derived sensory neurons with UBE3A knock-down, and de-identified stem cell-derived neurons from individuals with AS. We find that loss …

A Coalition-Driven Examination Of Organization Capacity To Address Food Insecurity In Greater Houston: A Qualitative Research Study, Jemima C John, Jennifer Gonzalez, Sara-Grace Chan, Heidi Mcpherson, Jennifer N Aiyer, Esperanza Galvan, Nicole Browning, Shreela V Sharma

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Economic and social hardships have worsened food insecurity, particularly among low income and racial-ethnic minority groups. Given the core goal of the 150+ member Houston Health Equity Collective (HEC) to reduce food insecurity by 5% in 2025, we explored member organizations' capacity and challenges faced in screening and responding to food insecurity through care coordination efforts.

METHODS: A twice-administered Qualtrics XM survey (Provo, Utah) with 76 organizations, followed by five focus groups with 22 of these organizations, explored reach and response efforts to food insecurity. Qualitative assessments lasted between 0.5 to 1.5 h, were audio-recorded, cleaned, coded, and thematically …

A Scoping Review Of Workplace Health Promotion Interventions For Chronic Diseases In Australia, Leonie Arnold, Katherine Harris, Victoria Weale

Journal Articles

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to systematically chart and summarize the literature pertaining to workplace health promotion (WHP) interventions targeting the five main modifiable lifestyle risk factors for chronic disease, including smoking, nutrition, alcohol, physical activity, overweight/obesity (SNAPO) in Australian workers.

METHODS: A scoping review was performed using the framework of Arksey and O'Malley. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and SCOPUS were searched to identify peer-reviewed publications that evaluated primary or secondary WHP interventions which targeted one or more modifiable risk factor (SNAPO).

RESULTS: A total of fifty-six articles were included in the review. The findings revealed a heterogeneous nature …

Association Of Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System Inhibitors And Outcomes Of Hospitalized Patients With Covid-19., Neha Gupta, Lisa Settle, Brent R Brown, Donna L Armaignac, Michael Baram, Nicholas E Perkins, Margit Kaufman, Roman R Melamed, Amy B Christie, Valerie C Danesh, Joshua L Denson, Sreekanth R Cheruku, Karen Boman, Vikas Bansal, Vishakha K Kumar, Allan J Walkey, Juan P Domecq, Rahul Kashyap, Christopher E Aston

Journal Articles

OBJECTIVES: To determine the association of prior use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASIs) with mortality and outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

DESIGN: Retrospective observational study.

SETTING: Multicenter, international COVID-19 registry.

SUBJECTS: Adult hospitalized COVID-19 patients on antihypertensive agents (AHAs) prior to admission, admitted from March 31, 2020, to March 10, 2021.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Data were compared between three groups: patients on RAASIs only, other AHAs only, and those on both medications. Multivariable logistic and linear regressions were performed after controlling for prehospitalization characteristics to estimate the effect of RAASIs on mortality and other outcomes during …

Acylcarnitines And Genetic Variation In Fat Oxidation Genes In Hiv-Infected, Antiretroviral-Treated Children With And Without Myopathy, Brian Kirmse, Charlotte Hobbs, Lisa Aaron, Grace Montepiedra, Marshall Summar, Paige L Williams, Caitlin J Smith, Russell Van Dyke, Chunli Yu, Kelli K Ryckman, William Borkowsky

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial toxicity resulting in myopathy and lactic acidosis has been described in antiretroviral (ARV)-exposed patients. We hypothesized that myopathy in HIV-infected, ARV-treated children would be associated with metabolic (acylcarnitines) and genetic (variants in metabolic genes) markers of dysfunctional fatty acid oxidation (FAO).

METHODS: Acylcarnitine profiles (ACP) were analyzed for 74 HIV-infected children on nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)-containing ARV. Thirty-seven participants with ≥2 creatine kinase measurements >500 IU (n = 18) or evidence of echocardiographic cardiomyopathy (n = 19) were matched with 37 participants without myopathy. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FAO genes were also evaluated.

RESULTS: Abnormal ACP …

Biological Treatment Usage In Patients With Hiv And Rheumatic Disease, 2003-2021: Long-Term Safety And Follow-Up, Benjamin Sornrung Naovarat, Gloria Salazar, Mariko Ishimori, Francis M Williams, John D Reveille

Journal Articles

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the safety and efficacy of biological agents, especially tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, for HIV-positive rheumatology patients refractory to standard therapy.

METHODS: This study is a retrospective case series including patients derived from a community HIV clinic as well as from two academic centres. Initial visit data collected included: sociodemographic characteristics, CD4 counts, HIV viral load and medication use. Patients with persistent disease activity despite standard conservative therapy were begun on biological agents.The main outcomes were patient and physician global assessment of treatment response and medication side effects in patients with rheumatological disorders treated with biological …

A Peptide Blocking The Adora1-Neurabin Interaction Is Anticonvulsant And Inhibits Epilepsy In An Alzheimer’S Model, Shalini Saggu, Yunjia Chen, Liping Chen, Diana Pizarro, Sandipan Pati, Wen Jing Law, Lori Mcmahon, Kai Jiao, Qin Wang

Journal Articles

Epileptic seizures are common sequelae of stroke, acute brain injury, and chronic neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), and cannot be effectively controlled in approximately 40% of patients, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic agents. Activation of the A1 receptor (A1R) by endogenous adenosine is an intrinsic mechanism to self-terminate seizures and protect neurons from excitotoxicity. However, targeting A1R for neurological disorders has been hindered by side effects associated with its broad expression outside the nervous system. Here we aim to target the neural-specific A1R/neurabin/regulator of G protein signaling 4 (A1R/neurabin/RGS4) complex that dictates A1R signaling strength and response outcome …

Assessment Of Oral And Overall Health Parameters Using The Sillha Oral Wellness System, Shawn S Adibi, Ryan Hanson, David F Fray, Tania Abedi, Brianna Neil, Danielle Maher, Gena Tribble, Ben F Warner, Mary C Farach-Carson

Journal Articles

OBJECTIVE: The study evaluated use of a multipoint saliva analyzer to assess patient wellness in a contemporary dental practice setting.

STUDY DESIGN: Unstimulated saliva from a diverse 104 patient cohort was analyzed using the SillHa Oral Wellness System. The device measures the following 7 analytes present in the patient's oral rinse: cariogenic bacteria, acidity, buffer capacity, blood, leukocytes, protein, and ammonia. Data obtained were compared with validated clinical assessment data independently provided by credentialed dental professionals.

RESULTS: Measured leukocyte and protein levels were higher in patients with periodontal disease and/or deep gingival pockets. Patients with a history of cancer and/or …

A Community-Led Mobile Health Clinic To Improve Structural And Social Determinants Of Health Among (Im)Migrant Workers, Shannon Guillot-Wright, N Miles Farr, Ellie Cherryhomes

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: Community-led interventions that address structural and social determinants of health are lacking among (im)migrant workers, especially seafood workers. This lack of medical attention is especially alarming given their high rate of injury and death.

METHODS: Community-based participatory research (CBPR), a relational model that values the participants as equal partners in research, dissemination, and implementation, guided the interviews and mobile clinic. Seafood workers were engaged throughout data collection, analysis, and interpretation and played a significant role in moving the findings from research into actionable change.

RESULTS: to address the lack of healthcare options for (im)migrants, and at the request of …

Review Of Evidence For Environmental Causes Of Uveal Coloboma, Evan B Selzer, Delphine Blain, Robert B Hufnagel, Philip J Lupo, Laura E Mitchell, Brian P Brooks

Journal Articles

Uveal coloboma is a condition defined by missing ocular tissues and is a significant cause of childhood blindness. It occurs from a failure of the optic fissure to close during embryonic development and may lead to missing parts of the iris, ciliary body, retina, choroid, and optic nerve. Because there is no treatment for coloboma, efforts have focused on prevention. While several genetic causes of coloboma have been identified, little definitive research exists regarding the environmental causes of this condition. We review the current literature on environmental factors associated with coloboma in an effort to guide future research and preventative …

Epidemiology Of Antibiotic Use And Drivers Of Cross-Border Procurement In A Mexican American Border Community, Heather T Essigmann, David A Aguilar, William B Perkison, Katherine G Bay, Magdalena R Deaton, Sharon A Brown, Craig L Hanis, Eric L Brown

Journal Articles

BACKGROUND: The U.S.-Mexico Border is an area of opportunity for improved health care access; however, gaps remain as to how and where U.S. border residents, particularly those who are underinsured, obtain care. Antibiotics are one of the most common reported drivers of cross-border healthcare access and a medication of particular concern since indiscriminate or inappropriate use is associated with antimicrobial resistance. In addition, many studies assessing preferences for Mexican pharmaceuticals and healthcare in U.S. border residents were done prior to 2010 when many prescription medications, including antibiotics, were available over the counter in Mexico.

METHODS: Data used in this study …

Patient-Derived Ipscs Link Elevated Mitochondrial Respiratory Complex I Function To Osteosarcoma In Rothmund-Thomson Syndrome, Brittany E Jewell, An Xu, Dandan Zhu, Mo-Fan Huang, Linchao Lu, Mo Liu, Erica L Underwood, Jun Hyoung Park, Huihui Fan, Julian A Gingold, Ruoji Zhou, Jian Tu, Zijun Huo, Ying Liu, Weidong Jin, Yi-Hung Chen, Yitian Xu, Shu-Hsia Chen, Nino Rainusso, Nathaniel K Berg, Danielle A Bazer, Christopher Vellano, Philip Jones, Holger K Eltzschig, Zhongming Zhao, Benny Abraham Kaipparettu, Ruiying Zhao, Lisa L Wang, Dung-Fang Lee

Journal Articles

Rothmund-Thomson syndrome (RTS) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by poikiloderma, small stature, skeletal anomalies, sparse brows/lashes, cataracts, and predisposition to cancer. Type 2 RTS patients with biallelic RECQL4 pathogenic variants have multiple skeletal anomalies and a significantly increased incidence of osteosarcoma. Here, we generated RTS patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to dissect the pathological signaling leading to RTS patient-associated osteosarcoma. RTS iPSC-derived osteoblasts showed defective osteogenic differentiation and gain of in vitro tumorigenic ability. Transcriptome analysis of RTS osteoblasts validated decreased bone morphogenesis while revealing aberrantly upregulated mitochondrial respiratory complex I gene expression. RTS osteoblast metabolic assays …