Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Stress Hormone And Heart Rate Responses To Various Exercise Training Methods, Tomas Gomez Jr., Rebekah Schlatter, Megan Zamora, Marco Arriago, Sue Anne Chew, Murat Karabulut

Research Symposium

Background: Blood Flow Resistance (BFR) training has garnered attention for its ability to induce positive physiological adaptations with low-load resistance exercise. The present study aimed to examine the responses of catabolic hormones and heart rates (HR) to various BFR training protocols. This investigation seeks to provide insights into the stress levels induced by different protocols and identification behind the most effective protocol for optimal positive exercise-related adaptations.

Methods: Study population involved 10 healthy adult males (height: 175.0±5.0 cm, weight: 96.67±26.6 kg, age: 21.3±2.67 yr.) in a five-session investigation. Informed consent paperwork, pre-testing and anthropometric measurements served as session 1; sessions …

Relationship Among Cognitive Performance, Physical Activity (Pa), Demographic, And Individual Lifestyle Characteristics Among Aging Hispanic Population, Ulku Karabulut, Bryan Mixumi, Imtiaz Masfique Dowllah, Murat Karabulut

Research Symposium

Purpose: To investigate the association among different intensity and duration of physical activity (PA), cognitive domains (executive function, processing speed, and memory), and demographic and lifestyle characteristics of aging Hispanic population. PA has been identified as a promising non-pharmaceutical preventative intervention for Alzheimer disease and other dementias. This study aims to provide a better understanding of the effects of different intensities of PA on cognitive performances of aging Hispanic population.

Methods: For this study, 441 Hispanic (age ≥60) participants’ data from NHANES (20112014) were analyzed. The protocol was approved by the NCHS Research Ethics Review Board, and all data …

Proteomic Analysis Of Stress Associated Factor Overexpression In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Mohammad Shabir Hussain, Sophia Leslie, Amayrani Sanchez, Samantha Lopez, Kyle Doxtater, Manish Kumar Tripathi

Research Symposium

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitutes a substantial portion, accounting for 85% to 90% of liver cancers worldwide. Notably, within the Hispanic population, liver cancer mortality rates are notably higher, particularly evident in regions like the South Texas Rio Grande Valley (RGV), where nearly 90% of the populace is Latino/Hispanic. This region grapples with poverty affecting nearly 30% of its residents, coupled with elevated rates of obesity, diabetes, and low-income households, thereby fostering a prevalent environment of stress. Stress can profoundly impact cancer outcomes by compromising immune functionality and triggering inflammatory responses, potentially impairing surveillance against oncogenic triggers. The activation of …

Piperlongumine Nanoformulation Attenuates Pancreatic Tumor Desmoplasia And Alter Tumor Immune Responses, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Neeraj Chauhan, Mohammed Sikander, Eswara N. H. K. Ghali, Bilal Hafeez, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is characterized by lack of early diagnosis, poor response to available therapeutic modalities and chemoresistance. Gemcitabine (GEM) is currently considered the most effective therapy for PanCa; however, it shows only a marginal survival benefit of 6 months. This poor drug response has been attributed to desmoplasia, causes suboptimal drug delivery, alters tumor microenvironment (TME), which includes tumor surrounding blood vessels, fibroblasts, immune cells, extracellular matrix, and other signaling molecules and induces chemo-resistance in tumors. To overcome these existing issues associated with chemotherapy, identification and development of novel therapeutic modalities are a pressing need. Piperlongumine (PL) is a …

Ongoing Study Of The Association Of Apoe Gene Polymorphisms With Cognitive Impairment In The Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Population, Jaime Miguel L. Saveron, Daniela Gamez, Chun Xu

Research Symposium

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD), a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, exhibits a significant genetic component. In addition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a key risk factor for AD. While certain demographic factors and genetic variants associated with AD and cognitive impairment have been identified in non-Hispanic populations, limited research exists on this subject within the Hispanic population, particularly in the Rio Grande Valley. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the APOE gene, specifically its ε4 allele, and cognitive impairment in the Hispanic population of the Rio Grande Valley.

Methods: A total of 269 Hispanic subjects, aged 60 and above, with …

Materials And Methods Developed For The Recording And Analysis Of Behavior In The Common Marmoset (Callithrix Jacchus)., Christian Wintle

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Materials and methods developed for the recording and analysis of behavior in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus).

Christian J. Wintle^a, Jordan B. Hernandez^a,b,c, Dobromir Dotov^d, and Jonathan B. Clayton^a,b,e,f,g

^aDepartment of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA

^bNebraska Food for Health Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

^cDepartment of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, NE, USA

^dDepartment of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA

^eDepartment of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, …

La1-Xsrxcoo3 Perovskite Nanomaterial: Synthesis, Characterization, And Its Biomedical Application, Adhira Tippur, Anyet Shohag, Luke Franco, Ahmed Touhami, Swati Mohan, Mohammed Uddin

Research Symposium

Early cancer detection is paramount for effective treatment and potential cures. This research explores the application of perovskite materials, specifically Sr2+-doped Lanthanum Cobaltite (La1-xSrxCoO3) nanomaterials, in cancer detection, with a focus on rats as an experimental model. The ferroelectric nature of these materials, synthesized through a combination of sol-gel and molten-salt processes, was examined at varying Sr2+ doping levels (1-20 wt%). Rigorous characterization, employing X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, confirmed the uniform morphology of nano cubes, laying the foundation for subsequent investigations. The magnetic properties of the perovskite nanoparticles were probed, suggesting their potential as a diagnostic tool for …

Investigating Interrater-Reliability In Assessing Social Behavior Of Monodelphis Domestica, Bianca A. Camacho, Johanna Perez, Jatziry L. Escobedo, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background: Reliable, consistent, and objective data is a goal all studies aim to achieve, but many struggle to obtain when subjective biases between researchers can occur. Inter-rater reliability (IRR) is a statistical measure used to quantify the degree of agreement between researchers qualitatively scoring the same phenomenon. The primary goal of this study is to enhance the methodology used to achieve optimal IRR. Using an established ethogram, our team of researchers scored the social behavior of the adult gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) to propose an effective method for achieving high IRR that can contribute to future …

Honey Targets Ribosome Biogenesis Process In Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells To Inhibit Their Growth And Metastatic Phenotypes, Aun A. Bangash, Muhammad Bangash, Haider Ahsan, Shiza Khan, Mudassier Ahmad, Dae Joon Kim, Sahir Alvi, Bilal Hafeez

Research Symposium

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is the fourth deadliest cancer worldwide and is expected to become the second deadliest cancer by 2030. In the USA, the National Cancer Institute put forth a grim prediction stating that there will be 64,050 new cases in 2023 alone and about 50,000 of these patients will die. Existing therapeutic regimens against PanCa are not that effective and show unacceptable toxicities. Therefore, developing highly effective new agents with less toxicity is urgently required, which could be used as a monotherapy or as an adjuvant to treat PanCa patients. Honey is known for its tremendous health benefits …

Real-Time Camp Dynamics In Live Cells Using The Fluorescent Camp Difference Detector In Situ, Isabella Cattani-Cavalieri, Jordyn Margolis, Camelia Anicolaesei, Francisco J. Nuñez, Rennolds S. Ostrom

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

cAMP Difference Detector In Situ (cADDis) is a novel biosensor that allows for the continuous measurement of cAMP levels in living cells. The biosensor is created from a circularly permuted fluorescent protein linked to the hinge region of Epac2. This creates a single fluorophore biosensor that displays either increased or decreased fluorescence upon binding of cAMP. The biosensor exists in red and green upward versions, as well as green downward versions, and several red and green versions targeted to subcellular locations. To illustrate the effectiveness of the biosensor, the green downward version, which decreases in fluorescence upon cAMP binding, was …

Digital Twins For Health: A Scoping Review, Evangelia Katsoulakis, Qi Wang, Huanmei Wu, Leili Shahriyari, Richard Fletcher, Jinwei Liu, Luke Achenie, Hongfang Liu, Pamela Jackson, Ying Xiao, Tanveer Syeda-Mahmood, Richard Tuli, Jun Deng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The use of digital twins (DTs) has proliferated across various fields and industries, with a recent surge in the healthcare sector. The concept of digital twin for health (DT4H) holds great promise to revolutionize the entire healthcare system, including management and delivery, disease treatment and prevention, and health well-being maintenance, ultimately improving human life. The rapid growth of big data and continuous advancement in data science (DS) and artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to significantly expedite DT research and development by providing scientific expertise, essential data, and robust cybertechnology infrastructure. Although various DT initiatives have been underway in the …

Vulnerabilities Of Gender Non-Conforming Children Within The Abcd Study, Mitchell D. Felix, Erik J. Nelson

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2024

• In the broad field of childhood health and development, understanding and caring for society’s most vulnerable populations is vital. One such at-risk population is gender non-conforming children, individuals whose gender expression does not conform to conventional societal norms.1

• Gender non-conforming individuals are likely to be subject to increased discrimination and violence,2 with non-conforming youths specifically seeing elevated rates of harassment by peers and childhood abuse.3,4

• The intersection between gender identity and health outcomes is an emerging field with important applications for policy, practice and societal attitudes.

The Binding And Mechanism Of A Positive Allosteric Modulator Of Kv3 Channels, Qiansheng Liang, Gamma Chi, Leonardo Cirqueira, Lianteng Zhi, Agostino Marasco, Nadia Pilati, Martin Gunthorpe, Giuseppe Alvaro, Charles Large, David Sauer, Werner Treptow, Manuel Covarrubias

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Small-molecule modulators of diverse voltage-gated K⁺ (Kv) channels may help treat a wide range of neurological disorders. However, developing effective modulators requires understanding of their mechanism of action. We apply an orthogonal approach to elucidate the mechanism of action of an imidazolidinedione derivative (AUT5), a highly selective positive allosteric modulator of Kv3.1 and Kv3.2 channels. AUT5 modulation involves positive cooperativity and preferential stabilization of the open state. The cryo-EM structure of the Kv3.1/AUT5 complex at a resolution of 2.5 Å reveals four equivalent AUT5 binding sites at the extracellular inter-subunit interface between the voltage-sensing and pore domains of the …

Tumor Treating Fields Suppress Tumor Cell Growth And Neurologic Decline In Models Of Spinal Metastases, Daniel Ledbetter, Romulo Augusto Andrade De Almeida, Xizi Wu, Ariel Naveh, Chirag B Patel, Queena Gonzalez, Thomas H Beckham, Robert North, Laurence Rhines, Jing Li, Amol Ghia, David Aten, Claudio Tatsui, Christopher Alvarez-Breckenridge

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spinal metastases can result in severe neurologic compromise and decreased overall survival. Despite treatment advances, local disease progression is frequent, highlighting the need for novel therapies. Tumor treating fields (TTFields) impair tumor cell replication and are influenced by properties of surrounding tissue. We hypothesized that bone's dielectric properties will enhance TTFields-mediated suppression of tumor growth in spinal metastasis models. Computational modeling of TTFields intensity was performed following surgical resection of a spinal metastasis and demonstrated enhanced TTFields intensity within the resected vertebral body. Additionally, luciferase-tagged human KRIB osteosarcoma and A549 lung adenocarcinoma cell lines were cultured in demineralized bone grafts …

Pilot Study To Assess The Effectiveness Of The Sustainable Culturally Adaptive Nutrition Program (Scan) To Improve Adherence To The National Diabetes Prevention Program, William B Perkison, Pierre Fwelo, Fernanda Velasco-Huerta, Natalia I Heredia, James J Yang, Sidra S Beg, Belinda M Reininger, Serena A Rodriguez, Maha Almohamad, Catherine Pulicken, Ella Garza, Grace E White, Maria E Fernandez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: The Sustainable Culturally Adapted Nutrition Program (SCAN) is a novel adaptation to the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) that aims to improve attendance and effectiveness. This paper presents its feasibility and impact through the initial 6-month outcomes.

DESIGN: A pragmatic quasi-experimental pilot study with intervention (DPP plus SCAN) and control (DPP only) groups.

SAMPLES AND INCLUSION CRITERIA: Sustainable Culturally Adapted Nutrition Program participants were recruited from federally qualified health center (FQHC) clinic patients enrolled in a NDPP in Houston, Texas. Participants needed to be (1) ≥18 years old, (2) body mass index >25, (3) no prior diagnosis of diabetes, …

Gut Microbiota Composition Is Associated With The Efficacy Of Delta-24-Rgdox In Malignant Gliomas, Natalie M Meléndez-Vázquez, Teresa T Nguyen, Xuejun Fan, Andrés R López-Rivas, Juan Fueyo, Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, Filipa Godoy-Vitorino

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Glioblastoma, the most common primary brain tumor, has a 6.8% survival rate 5 years post diagnosis. Our team developed an oncolytic adenovirus with an OX-40L expression cassette named Delta-24-RGDOX. While studies have revealed the interaction between the gut microbiota and immunotherapy agents, there are no studies linking the gut microbiota with viroimmunotherapy efficacy. We hypothesize that gut bacterial signatures will be associated with oncolytic viral therapy efficacy. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the changes in gut microbiota in two mouse cohorts: (1) GSC-005 glioblastoma-bearing mice treated orally with indoximod, an immunotherapeutic agent, or with Delta-24-RGDOX by intratumoral injection and …

Correction: Detecting The Percent Of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Displaying P-Stat-3 In Malignant Glioma Patients, William Humphries, Yongtao Wang, Wei Qiao, Chantal Reina-Ortiz, Mohamed K Abou-Ghazal, Lamonne M Crutcher, Jun Wei, Ling-Yuan Kong, Raymond Sawaya, Ganesh Rao, Jeffrey Weinberg, Sujit S Prabhu, Gregory N Fuller, Amy B Heimberger

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Gut Microbiota Composition Is Associated With The Efficacy Of Delta-24-Rgdox In Malignant Gliomas, Natalie M Meléndez-Vázquez, Teresa T Nguyen, Xuejun Fan, Andrés R López-Rivas, Juan Fueyo, Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, Filipa Godoy-Vitorino

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Glioblastoma, the most common primary brain tumor, has a 6.8% survival rate 5 years post diagnosis. Our team developed an oncolytic adenovirus with an OX-40L expression cassette named Delta-24-RGDOX. While studies have revealed the interaction between the gut microbiota and immunotherapy agents, there are no studies linking the gut microbiota with viroimmunotherapy efficacy. We hypothesize that gut bacterial signatures will be associated with oncolytic viral therapy efficacy. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the changes in gut microbiota in two mouse cohorts: (1) GSC-005 glioblastoma-bearing mice treated orally with indoximod, an immunotherapeutic agent, or with Delta-24-RGDOX by intratumoral injection and …

Case Studies On Biomedical Innovation Systems In Major Countries, Xiaoling Ma

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The study focuses on the basic research, technological breakthroughs, transformation and commercialization of representative biomedical innovations over the past century—including penicillin, artemisinin, monoclonal antibodies, tumor immunotherapy, adenoviral gene therapy, mRNA vaccines, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, etc.—adopting a “dissecting the sparrow” case study methodology to conduct in-depth analyses (“double-clicking”) of each breakthrough, thereby mapping the institutional architectures and performance outcomes of national biomedical innovation systems and achieving a “seeing both trees and forest” perspective. Through comparative analysis, it reveals that the United States, compared with the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany and China, has developed a smooth technology transfer system and a mature …

Understanding Heterogeneity In Individual Responses To Digital Lifestyle Intervention Through Self-Monitoring Adherence Trajectories In Adults With Overweight Or Obesity: Secondary Analysis Of A 6-Month Randomized Controlled Trial, Shiyu Li, Yan Du, Hongyu Miao, Kumar Sharma, Chengdong Li, Zenong Yin, Bradley Brimhall, Jing Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Achieving clinically significant weight loss through lifestyle interventions for obesity management is challenging for most individuals. Improving intervention effectiveness involves early identification of intervention nonresponders and providing them with timely, tailored interventions. Early and frequent self-monitoring (SM) adherence predicts later weight loss success, making it a potential indicator for identifying nonresponders in the initial phase.

Objective: This study aims to identify clinically meaningful participant subgroups based on longitudinal adherence to SM of diet, activity, and weight over 6 months as well as psychological predictors of participant subgroups from a self-determination theory (SDT) perspective.

Methods: This was a secondary data …

Prediabetes And Associated Risk Of Cardiovascular Events And Chronic Kidney Disease Among Adult Survivors Of Childhood Cancer In The St Jude Lifetime Cohort, Stephanie B Dixon, Fang Wang, Lu Lu, Carmen L Wilson, Daniel M Green, Thomas E Merchant, Deo Kumar Srivastava, Angela Delaney, Rebecca M Howell, John L Jefferies, Leslie L Robison, Kirsten K Ness, Melissa M Hudson, Wassim Chemaitilly, Gregory T Armstrong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Little is known about the prevalence of prediabetes and associated risk of cardiovascular events and chronic kidney disease (CKD) with this reversable condition in survivors.

Methods: Prevalence of prediabetes (fasting plasma glucose 100-125 mg/dL or hemoglobin A1c 5.7%-6.4%) and diabetes was clinically assessed in 3,529 adults ≥5 years from childhood cancer diagnosis and 448 controls stratified by age. Cox proportional hazards regression estimated progression from prediabetes to diabetes, and risk of future cardiac events, stroke, CKD, and death.

Results: Among survivors, median age 30 years (IQR, 18-65), and the prevalence of prediabetes was 29.2% (95% CI, 27.7 to 30.7) …

Pediatric Beta Blocker Therapy: A Comprehensive Review Of Development And Genetic Variation To Guide Precision-Based Therapy In Children, Adolescents, And Young Adults., Mollie Walton, Jonathan B. Wagner

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Beta adrenergic receptor antagonists, known as beta blockers, are one of the most prescribed medications in both pediatric and adult cardiology. Unfortunately, most of these agents utilized in the pediatric clinical setting are prescribed off-label. Despite regulatory efforts aimed at increasing pediatric drug labeling, a majority of pediatric cardiovascular drug agents continue to lack pediatric-specific data to inform precision dosing for children, adolescents, and young adults. Adding to this complexity is the contribution of development (ontogeny) and genetic variation towards the variability in drug disposition and response. In the absence of current prospective trials, the purpose of this comprehensive review …

Summit-Fa: A New Resource For Improved Transcriptome Imputation Using Functional Annotations, Hunter J Melton, Zichen Zhang, Chong Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) integrate gene expression prediction models and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify gene-trait associations. The power of TWAS is determined by the sample size of GWAS and the accuracy of the expression prediction model. Here, we present a new method, the Summary-level Unified Method for Modeling Integrated Transcriptome using Functional Annotations (SUMMIT-FA), which improves gene expression prediction accuracy by leveraging functional annotation resources and a large expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) summary-level dataset. We build gene expression prediction models in whole blood using SUMMIT-FA with the comprehensive functional database MACIE and eQTL summary-level data from the …

Epigenetic Modulators Link Mitochondrial Redox Homeostasis To Cardiac Function In A Sex-Dependent Manner, Zaher Elbeck, Mohammad Bakhtiar Hossain, Humam Siga, Nikolay Oskolkov, Fredrik Karlsson, Julia Lindgren, Anna Walentinsson, Dominique Koppenhöfer, Rebecca Jarvis, Roland Bürli, Tanguy Jamier, Elske Franssen, Mike Firth, Andrea Degasperi, Claus Bendtsen, Robert I Menzies, Katrin Streckfuss-Bömeke, Michael Kohlhaas, Alexander G Nickel, Lars H Lund, Christoph Maack, Ákos Végvári, Christer Betsholtz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

While excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a characteristic hallmark of numerous diseases, clinical approaches that ameliorate oxidative stress have been unsuccessful. Here, utilizing multi-omics, we demonstrate that in cardiomyocytes, mitochondrial isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH2) constitutes a major antioxidative defense mechanism. Paradoxically reduced expression of IDH2 associated with ventricular eccentric hypertrophy is counterbalanced by an increase in the enzyme activity. We unveil redox-dependent sex dimorphism, and extensive mutual regulation of the antioxidative activities of IDH2 and NRF2 by a feedforward network that involves 2-oxoglutarate and L-2-hydroxyglutarate and mediated in part through unconventional hydroxy-methylation of cytosine residues present in introns. …

Design Of The Strive-Ipf Trial- Study Of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange, Rituximab, And Intravenous Immunoglobulin For Acute Exacerbations Of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Tejaswini Kulkarni, Gerard J Criner, Daniel J Kass, Ivan O Rosas, Mary Beth Scholand, Daniel F Dilling, Ross Summer, Steven R Duncan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF) affect a significant proportion of patients with IPF. There are limited data to inform therapeutic strategies for AE-IPF, despite its high mortality. We discuss the rationale and design of STRIVE-IPF, a randomized, multi-center, open-label Phase IIb clinical trial to determine the efficacy of combined therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), rituximab, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), in comparison to treatment as usual (TAU), among patients with acute IPF exacerbations.

METHODS: The STRIVE-IPF trial will randomize 51 patients among five sites in the United States. The inclusion criteria have been designed to select a study population …

Exploring Neuroplasticity Changes In Neurotoxin-Induced Parkinson’S Disease: A Preliminary Analysis Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Tomas Gomez Jr., Daniel Salinas, Kelsey Potter-Baker, Nawaz Hack, Ramu Vadukapuram

Research Symposium

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition that affects movement, cognition, gait, and significantly impacts one's quality of life. Studies have suggested that neurotoxin pre-exposure is related to PD pathology and progressive motor/non-motor deficits, though it remains unclear how neurotoxin exposure affects neuroplasticity. The present study aimed to examine neurotoxin–induced PD-associated neuroplasticity changes in relationship to mental acuity and PD motor functionalities.

Methods: 7 voluntary participants experiencing early-stage PD symptoms with self-reported neurotoxin pre-exposure were enrolled in the longitudinal, repeated-measures clinical study; 2 sex-matched, age-matched, and occupation-matched healthy subjects were recruited for controlled comparative analysis (n=9). UTRGV’s Institute …

Examining Cetp Gene Associated With Ad-Related Diseases Of The Hispanic Population In The Rio Grande Valley., Erika Guajardo, Luis Aguillon, Daniela Ollervides-Charles, Kesheng Wang, Gladys Maestre, J. Garza, Chun Xu

Research Symposium

Background: There are currently about 6 million people in the United States that suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s Disease related dementia (ADRD). It is a progressive disease beginning with mild memory loss and possibly leading to loss of the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to the environment. Over time, these conditions can cause many different health issues that decrease the quality of life. In addition, Hispanic people are twice as likely to develop AD or AD related dementia than non-Hispanic White people. In our study, we are investigating a known gene, CETP, that directly corresponds …

A Fork In The Road: Uncovering The Impact Of Industrial Animal Agriculture On The Physical Health Of Communities Of Color, Mariana Zepeda

Population Health Research Brief Series

Nearly all (99%) farmed animals in the U.S. come from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). CAFOs are industrial agriculture facilities defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as operations where animals are raised in confinement and meet animal size and waste material thresholds. Communities located near CAFOs, which tend to have high shares of low-income and racial/ethnic minority residents, are at risk of exposure to CAFO-related air and water pollutants. This brief summarizes the health risks for communities located near CAFOs. Additionally, it calls for government regulations that improve transparency, management, and consumer empowerment.

Momkk1 And Moatg1 Dichotomously Regulating Autophagy And Pathogenicity Through Moatg9 Phosphorylation In Magnaporthe Oryzae, Yun Kong, Pusheng Guo, Jiayun Xu, Jiaxu Li, Miao Wu, Ziqi Zhang, Yifan Wang, Xinyu Liu, Leiyun Yang, Muxing Liu, Haifeng Zhang, Ping Wang, Zhengguang Zhang

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Autophagy is a central biodegradation pathway critical in eliminating intracellular cargo to maintain cellular homeostasis and improve stress resistance. At the same time, the key component of the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade regulating cell wall integrity signaling MoMkk1 has an essential role in the autophagy of the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Still, the mechanism of how MoMkk1 regulates autophagy is unclear. Interestingly, we found that MoMkk1 regulates the autophagy protein MoAtg9 through phosphorylation. MoAtg9 is a transmembrane protein subjected to phosphorylation by autophagy-related protein kinase MoAtg1. Here, we provide evidence demonstrating that MoMkk1-dependent MoAtg9 phosphorylation is required for phospholipid …

Single-Cell Analysis Of Age-Related Changes In Leukocytes Of Diabetic Mouse Hindpaws, James M Nichols, Hoang Vu Pham, Eric F Lee, Rajasekaran Mahalingam, Andrew J Shepherd

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Complications associated with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy and diabetic foot ulcers, are a growing health-care concern. In addition, this concern increases as diabetic patients age due to their increased susceptibility to complications. To address this growing problem, it is important to understand fluctuations in physiology which lead to pathological changes associated with the metabolic disturbances of diabetes. Our study explores dysregulation of immune cell populations in the hindpaws of healthy and diabetic mice at 12 and 21 weeks of age using single-cell RNA sequencing to provide insight into immune disruptions occurring in the …