Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of Self-Confidence In Women With Chronic Disease, Sebahat Atalıkoğlu Başkan, Sevinç Kose Tuncer, Demet Güneş

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Self-confidence, which is an important emotional need in women, affects women's quality of life. This research was conducted to evaluate the self-confidence of women with chronic diseases.

Methods: This study was conducted at the internal medicine clinic of Erzincan Mengücek Gazi Training and Research Hospital in Turkey between August 2019 and June 2020. The sample consisted of 339 female patients with chronic diseases who agreed to participate in this study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using information form and the Women’s Self-Confidence Scale.

Results: The mean total score of the participants was 136.40 ± 24.92. …

Related Factors With Self-Management Behaviors Among Patients With Predialysis Chronic Kidney Disease: A Multicenter Study In Myanmar, Yoon Zarchi Wint, Jiraporn Lininger, Sirirat Leelacharas

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Self-management behavior is key to managing patients with predialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is effective in slowing disease progression in impoverished Burmese patients with CKD. This study aimed to outline the association of personal and environmental factors with the self-management behaviors of people with predialysis CKD.

Methods: Using convenience sampling, this cross-sectional study included 84 individuals with predialysis CKD from two private hospitals in Myanmar. The interviewer-administered questionnaire included demographic information, the Health Literacy Short Form-12, the CKD knowledge questionnaire, the self-efficacy questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the self-management behavior questionnaire. This …

Cross-Cultural Adaptation And Psychometric Properties Of The Arabic Version Of The Academic Nurse Self-Efficacy Scale, Junel Bryan Arre Bajet, Jonas Preposi Cruz, Ejercito Mangawa Balay-Odao, Jennifer Mesde, Nahed Alquwez, Khalaf Alotaibi, Sheerween Cacanando

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Students’ academic self-efficacy is greatly associated with their academic performance. An effective instrument is needed to assess academic self-efficacy in the Saudi context. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Academic Nurse Self-Efficacy Scale-Arabic version (ANSE-A) given to student nurses and the associations between the students’ demographics and overall ANSE-A scores.

Methods: Quantitative and descriptive methods were applied. The study was conducted from January to July 2022 at Shaqra University with 200 nursing students as the convenience sample. For content validity, the item-level content and scale-level content validity indices were utilized following the averaging method. We …

Risk Factors Associated With Occupational Stress Among Malaysian Construction Professionals, Nur Syafiqah Fauzan, Nur Alia Farahanin Mohd Tajuddin, Neroshini Thanarejee, Dayana Hazwani Mohd Suadi Nata, Ezrin Hani Sukadarin, Mirta Widia

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Construction industries that focus on project-based nature, pressure, and long hours may lead to job-related stress among workers. In many emerging nations, robust economic growth plans generate occupational depression, anxiety, and stress among construction industry personnel. This study aims to determine the relationship between these items and the risk factors (demographic) among Malaysian construction professionals.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 173 Malaysian construction professionals. A DASS-21 questionnaire is used to survey eligible respondents.

Results: Findings show that construction professionals have a high level of stress (54.9%), anxiety (48.5%), and depression (37%). Gender is …

Association Between Rs2787094 Genetic Variants In Adam33 Gene And Asthma In Indonesian Population: Preliminary Study, Kencono Viyati, Kinasih Prayuni, Yenni Zulhamidah, Intan Razari, Rika Yuliwulandari

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Asthma is a multifactorial disease that encompasses a multitude of genetic and environmental factors. One such factor is the disintegrin and metalloprotein-33 (ADAM33) gene, which is correlated with asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Previous studies conducted on Asian populations have reported a significant association between rs2787094 polymorphism in the ADAM33 gene and asthma.

Methods: Our study involved 153 Indonesian participants. TaqMan genotyping assay was used to analyze rs2787094 polymorphism in the ADAM33 gene.

Results: No significant association was detected between the allele and genotype frequencies of rs2787094 and asthma in the case and control subjects (p …

The Prevalence Of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Racial And Ethnic Minority Adolescents During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Chinenye Lynette Ejezie, Lara S Savas, Casey Durand, Ross Shegog, Paula Cuccaro

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among adolescents has steadily improved over the past several years. However, research conducted to determine whether the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted this positive trend in HPV vaccine initiation among racial and ethnic minority adolescents is limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine if the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting changes in the US health-care sector affected the increasing HPV vaccine initiation among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic adolescents aged 13-17 years.

METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design to examine data from the National Immunization Survey-Teen (2019-2021), logistic regression and moderation analysis were used to model race-specific variations …

The Biocompatibility Of A Ginger-Containing Herbal Toothpaste On Developing Zebrafish Embryos, Simge Meseli, Unsal Veli Ustundag, Perihan Seda Ates, Ismail Unal, Ebru Isik Alturfan, Dilek Tağtekin, Funda Yanikoglu

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

The biocompatibility of toothpaste in an oral cavity should be approved by clinical trials. Nowadays, herbal toothpaste is increasing in popularity due to its natural ingredients. Being genetically similar to humans, zebrafish are used in potential toxicity testing. The zebrafish embryotoxicity test is a fast and straightforward method to study chemical toxicity during embryogenesis.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate if there was any biocompatibility of the toothpaste on zebrafish embryos.

Methods: Adult AB strain zebrafish were used according to Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee protocols. Normally dividing, spherical embryos were exposed to herbal toothpaste with ginger (Gumgumix, Turkey) …

The Successful Management Of Non-Healing Extraoral Draining Sinus Of Odontogenic Origin: A Report Of Two Cases, Eason Soo, Nurul Ain Ramlan, Sarah Husna Khairulzan, Rifqah Nordin, Muhammad Syafiq Asyraf Rosli

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Extraoral draining sinus of odontogenic origin usually lacks intraoral symptoms, thus it may be diagnosed as a cutaneous lesion. It is rare and may be confused with a wide variety of diseases for example furuncle, pericoronitis in relation to the mandibular third molars, parotid fistula, preauricular sinuses, periapical and periodontal pathology, and many more. Patients might seek treatment from their physician as they are not aware of its odontogenic origin and these cases usually are misdiagnosed and leading to inappropriate treatment.

Objective: To discuss the detailed management of two cases of extraoral draining sinus that were successfully treated.

Case Reports: …

Oral Leukoplakia: Diagnosis And Management Revisited, Isaäc Van Der Waal

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

The definition of oral leukoplakia has not much changed during the past five decades and is still a definition by exclusion of ‘known’ lesions. Therefore, a diagnosis of leukoplakia is not always a straightforward one for the clinicians and, to some extent, also for the pathologists. The traditional clinical classification in homogeneous and nonhomogeneous leukoplakia may just be simplified into leukoplakia (thin and thick/verrucous) and erythroleukoplakia. In spite of numerous reported predictive molecular and genetic parameters of malignant transformation, the presence and grade of epithelial dysplasia as assessed by histopathological examination is still the most important one. Of the various …

Comparison Of Centering Ability And Canal Transportation Of Trunatomy Files With Different File Systems, Ecehan Hazar, Gediz Geduk, Ezgi Coşkun, Sibel Koçak, Baran Can Sağlam, Mustafa Murat Koçak

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the centering ability and canal transportation of the ProTaper Next, One Curve, and TruNatomy instruments in curved root canals. Methods: Forty-five curved mesiobuccal canals of human mandibular molar teeth were selected, randomly divided into 3 groups, and prepared using the ProTaper Next, One Curve, and TruNatomy files. Cone Beam Computed Tomography images of the cross-sectional planes at 1 mm, 3 mm, 5 mm, and 7 mm from the apical foramen were determined before and after the preparation. For each specified millimeter canal transportation and centering ability were measured. Statistical analysis was performed …

Comparison Of Two Different Intraoral Scanners For Determination Of Caries Related Volume Loss In Caries Removal, Merve Şeker, Elif Alkan, Dilek Tağtekin, Bora Korkut, Funda Yanıkoğlu

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Objective: The study aimed to compare cavity volume data obtained with two different intraoral scanners. Methods: One hundred extracted molar teeth were divided into groups according to ICDAS-II classification, and scanned with Cerec Omnicam (Dentsply Sirona) and iTero Element Flex (Align Technology). The caries-infected tissues were removed regarding either minimally invasive or conventional cavity principles. Samples were scanned again and volumetric data were assessed by Meshmixer 3.5 (Autodesk) 3D modeling software. Statistical evaluations were performed with Mann Whitney U test and Spearman’s Correlation test. The significance level was α=0.05. Results: Although there was a significant difference between obtained …

Salivary Changes In Patients Hospitalized For Complications Of Hiv Infection/Aids: A Study Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry, Vanessa Cavassin Klamas, Mateus Anhaia Ventura, Loana Mara Baika, Adryano Arana Kamei, Jhonatan Yukio Naka, Cassiano Lima Chaiben, Marco Tadeu Grassi, Antonio Adilson Soares De Lima

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the salivary flow and levels of major salivary ions of HIV-infected individuals. Methods: One hundred and two participants (18 - 74 years of age) were divided into two groups (51 HIV - infected patients and 51 controls) and had a saliva sample collected. Salivary flow rate was measured gravimetrically. Levels of salivary sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Results: The mean salivary flow of subjects with HIV infection was significantly higher when compared to controls (Case group = …

Perceived Stress, Severity Of Xerostomia, And Periodontal Status In Undergraduate Dental Students, Engku Ahmad Muzhaffar, Zurairah Berahim, Norsila Abdul Wahab, Norkhafizah Saddki

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Dentistry is a highly stressful program; stress is associated with xerostomia and periodontal disease.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the association of perceived stress, severity of xerostomia, and periodontal status in dental students.

Methods: This was a two-phase cross-sectional study of 245 Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) undergraduate dental students. Phase 1 involved administration of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and Summated Xerostomia Inventory (SXI). In phase 2, the Community Periodontal Index (CPI) was performed on 150 students to determine their periodontal status.

Results: Mean PSS-10 and SXI scores were 19.6 (SD 5.47) and 7.9 (SD 2.04), respectively. …

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Assessment Of Morphologic And Anatomic Changes Of The Nasopalatine Canal: Cross-Sectional Study, Hümeyra Tercanlı, Ayşe Taş, Gamze Coşan Ata

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Objective: To reveal the morphological and anatomical structure of the nasopalatine canal (NPC) and analyze its measurements via cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Methods: A total of 246 CBCT images were included in the study.) NPC diameter, length, angle, distance from the IF to buccal bone (M1), distance from the NF to buccal bone (M2), and the distance from the middle of the NPC to buccal bone (M3) were measured. Statistical significance was assumed at p < 0.05.

Results: There was a significant difference between gender and NPC length, M1 and M3 (p = 0.008, p = 0.019 and p < 0.001, respectively), and between the presence of teeth in the anterior maxilla and M1 (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference between the shape of NPC in the coronal plane and NPC angle (p = 0.012) and between the shape of NPC in the sagittal plane and NF diameter, IF diameter, M1 and the M3 (p < 0.001, p = 0.006, p = 0.031 and p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: NPC variations, …

How To Manage Fan’S C Shape Canals Along With S Shape Morphology In Indian Population: A Case Series And Narrative Review, A Lavanya, Rajendra Kumar Tewari

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

The C-shaped root canals offer greater negotiation, debridement, and obturation difficulty as they present with intercommunications, lateral canals, and reduced dentin thickness.

Objective: This case series elaborates on the recognition that these varying configurations is important to enhance adequate cleaning, shaping, and sealing of the root canal.

Case Reports: On clinical examination, all the teeth showed caries were nonresponsive to sensibility tests and toother diagnostic tests, suggestive of pulp necrosis with apical periodontitis. Conventional root canal treatment with different techniques and obturation systems have been used. This case series presents the successful management of various C-shaped configurations classified by Fan …

The Effects Of Boric Acid On The Water Solubility Of Glass Ionomer Cements, Banu Cukurluoz Bayındır, İrem Bağ

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Changing the water solubility property of glass ionomer cement (GIC), which is frequently used in pediatric dentistry, is the starting point of this study. Objective: To evaluate the effects of boric acid on the water solubility (WS) of GIC. Methods: The samples were prepared as n=12 in each of four groups: GIC-Conventional glass ionomer cement; BGIC with 1:3 boric acid added to conventional GIC powder; RMGIC-resin-modified glass ionomer cement; BRMGIC with 1:3 boric acid added to RMGIC powder. Weight changes were compared 1, 3 and 24 h after keeping in distilled water. One sample in each group was …

Misusing Elastics For Midline Diastema Closure - Disaster And Treatment Via A Case Report In Vietnam, Vo Nhu Truong Ngoc, Ly Van Huan, Hoang Kim Loan, Dang Trieu Hung, Ta Thanh Dong

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Midline diastema has been a popular aesthetic problem for children. Several treatment options are available, however, the use of elastic bands without other appliances for closing the diastema still remains a pressing issue in Vietnam, which could be done by the patient’s parents either themselves or under the dental practitioners’ suggestion.

Objective: To report a specific case about the extensive extrusion regarding upper central incisors in a pediatric patient due to misusing the elastic band, in which management was complex due to an unfavorable situation for splinting.

Case Report: Single rubber band usage for orthodontic movement in closing diastema has …

Efficacy Of Scalp-Sparing Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy Approach In Reducing Scalp Radiation Dose For Patients With Glioblastoma: A Cross-Sectional Study, Muneeb Khan Niazi, Olga Russial, Louis Cappelli, Ryan Miller, Yingxuan Chen, Yelena Vakhnenko, Haisong Lui, Wenyin Shi

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Radiation is integral to the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM). However, radiation-induced scalp toxicity can negatively impact patients' quality of life. Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) optimizes the dose to organs at risk (OARs). We hypothesize that a scalp-sparing VMAT (SSV) approach can significantly reduce undesirable doses to the scalp without compromising the target dose.

METHODS: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of GBM patients who originally received radiation with non-SSV. We contoured the scalp as a 5 mm rind-like structure beneath the skin above the level of the foramen magnum. We replanned our patients using SSV techniques. We compared …

Pan-Cancer Analysis Of Post-Translational Modifications Reveals Shared Patterns Of Protein Regulation, Yifat Geffen, Shankara Anand, Yo Akiyama, Tomer M Yaron, Yizhe Song, Jared L Johnson, Akshay Govindan, Özgün Babur, Yize Li, Emily Huntsman, Liang-Bo Wang, Chet Birger, David I Heiman, Qing Zhang, Mendy Miller, Yosef E Maruvka, Nicholas J Haradhvala, Anna Calinawan, Saveliy Belkin, Alexander Kerelsky, Karl R Clauser, Karsten Krug, Shankha Satpathy, Samuel H Payne, D R Mani, Michael A Gillette, Saravana M Dhanasekaran, Mathangi Thiagarajan, Mehdi Mesri, Henry Rodriguez, Ana I Robles, Steven A Carr, Alexander J Lazar, François Aguet, Lewis C Cantley, Li Ding, Gad Getz, Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) play key roles in regulating cell signaling and physiology in both normal and cancer cells. Advances in mass spectrometry enable high-throughput, accurate, and sensitive measurement of PTM levels to better understand their role, prevalence, and crosstalk. Here, we analyze the largest collection of proteogenomics data from 1,110 patients with PTM profiles across 11 cancer types (10 from the National Cancer Institute's Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium [CPTAC]). Our study reveals pan-cancer patterns of changes in protein acetylation and phosphorylation involved in hallmark cancer processes. These patterns revealed subsets of tumors, from different cancer types, including those with …

Pan-Cancer Proteogenomics Connects Oncogenic Drivers To Functional States, Yize Li, Eduard Porta-Pardo, Collin Tokheim, Matthew H Bailey, Tomer M Yaron, Vasileios Stathias, Yifat Geffen, Kathleen J Imbach, Song Cao, Shankara Anand, Yo Akiyama, Wenke Liu, Matthew A Wyczalkowski, Yizhe Song, Erik P Storrs, Michael C Wendl, Wubing Zhang, Mustafa Sibai, Victoria Ruiz-Serra, Wen-Wei Liang, Nadezhda V Terekhanova, Fernanda Martins Rodrigues, Karl R Clauser, David I Heiman, Qing Zhang, Francois Aguet, Anna P Calinawan, Saravana M Dhanasekaran, Chet Birger, Shankha Satpathy, Daniel Cui Zhou, Liang-Bo Wang, Jessika Baral, Jared L Johnson, Emily M Huntsman, Pietro Pugliese, Antonio Colaprico, Antonio Iavarone, Milan G Chheda, Christopher J Ricketts, David Fenyö, Samuel H Payne, Henry Rodriguez, Ana I Robles, Michael A Gillette, Chandan Kumar-Sinha, Alexander J Lazar, Lewis C Cantley, Gad Getz, Li Ding

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cancer driver events refer to key genetic aberrations that drive oncogenesis; however, their exact molecular mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. Here, our multi-omics pan-cancer analysis uncovers insights into the impacts of cancer drivers by identifying their significant cis-effects and distal trans-effects quantified at the RNA, protein, and phosphoprotein levels. Salient observations include the association of point mutations and copy-number alterations with the rewiring of protein interaction networks, and notably, most cancer genes converge toward similar molecular states denoted by sequence-based kinase activity profiles. A correlation between predicted neoantigen burden and measured T cell infiltration suggests potential vulnerabilities for immunotherapies. Patterns of …

Wearable Biosensor With Molecularly Imprinted Conductive Polymer Structure To Detect Lentivirus In Aerosol, Jaskirat Singh Batra, Ting-Yen Chi, Mo-Fan Huang, Dandan Zhu, Zheyuan Chen, Dung-Fang Lee, Jun Kameoka

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has increased pressure to develop low-cost, compact, user-friendly, and ubiquitous virus sensors for monitoring infection outbreaks in communities and preventing economic damage resulting from city lockdowns. As proof of concept, we developed a wearable paper-based virus sensor based on a molecular imprinting technique, using a conductive polyaniline (PANI) polymer to detect the lentivirus as a test sample. This sensor detected the lentivirus with a 4181 TU/mL detection limit in liquid and 0.33% to 2.90% detection efficiency in aerosols at distances ranging from 30 cm to 60 cm. For fabrication, a mixture of a PANI monomer …

The Appalachian Gap In Preventable Hospitalizations: Are We Seeing Any Progress?, Rachel Hogg-Graham, Juan Lang, Teresa M. Waters

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Previous studies have documented geographic variation in preventable hospitalizations between rural and urban areas, but much less is known about preventable hospitalization patterns between heterogeneous rural areas. Unique challenges related to access of care and poverty may put the rural Appalachian Region at risk for higher rates of preventable hospitalizations.

Purpose: This study examines whether within-rural differences in Kentucky’s preventable hospitalization rates exist and how these differences may be changing over time.

Methods: Longitudinal and geographic trends in county-level preventable hospitalization rates were examined using Kentucky hospital discharge data from 2016 to 2019. Regression models were run to determine …

Evaluation Of A Faculty Fellows Program In Science Communication, Stacy Stanifer, Beverly Delidow, Kathy Rademacher, Luz Huntington-Moskos, Kelly Kennoy, Amanda Thaxton-Wiggins, Craig Wilmhoff, Ellen J. Hahn

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Science communication plays a crucial role in tackling pressing regional, national, and global health issues. Effective communication with various audiences is integral to dissemination of science findings.

Purpose: This study evaluates changes in self-efficacy and attitudes toward science communication skills over time and also assesses program outcomes and satisfaction with a Faculty Fellows in Science Communication (FFSC) program among faculty (N = 30) with interest in environmental health science and/or education in Appalachia Kentucky.

Methods: A mixed methods program evaluation was employed using longitudinal data on behaviors, attitudes, and program outcomes from three cohorts of Faculty Fellows who participated …

Impact Of Interprofessional Student Teams At A Remote Area Medical Event In Rural Appalachia, Emily K. Flores, Karilynn Dowling, Caroline Abercrombie Md, Rick L. Wallace

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Education in interprofessional collaboration is vital to expand healthcare access, especially in areas of higher disparity. To address this need, interprofessional faculty collaborators incorporated undergraduate and graduate health profession students into teams at an annual Remote Area Medical event in rural Appalachia between 2017 and 2020.

Purpose: This article evaluates the impact of an interprofessional student teams model on both patient care experience and students’ interprofessional collaboration attitudes and behaviors.

Methods: Student volunteers completed pre- and post-event surveys containing questions about demographics, open-ended questions, and questions from two instruments: the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised Instrument, Version 2 …

A Pilot Study Of Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Placement In Transgender Neophallus Using Tutoplast® Pericardium Graft Sock Technique, Justin P Mehr, Kareim Khalaf Alla, Kyle A Blum, Travis P Green, Kailash Panchapakesan, Daniel Freet, Run Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Placement of an inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) in a transgender patient’s neophallus carries unique considerations versus cis-gender IPP placement in mitigating infection, erosion, and overall complication rates. An example of this includes the lack of an anatomical corpus cavernosum and crura for cylinder placement and anchoring. Multiple grafting approaches and materials have been utilized to mitigate possible cylinder instability and improve anchoring. Here we describe our experience and surgical technique in IPP neophallus placement utilizing a single cylinder with distal and proximal cylinder human cadaver pericardium (Tutoplast®, IOP Ophthalmics, Costa Mesa, CA, USA) grafts. Our goals were to determine postoperative …

Identification Of Distinct Impacts Of Covs Inactivation On The Transcriptome Of Acapsular Group A Streptococci, Sruti Debroy, William C Shropshire, Luis Vega, Chau Tran, Nicola Horstmann, Piyali Mukherjee, Selvalakshmi Selvaraj-Anand, Truc T Tran, Jordan Bremer, Marc Gohel, Cesar A Arias, Anthony R Flores, Samuel A Shelburne

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Group A streptococcal (GAS) strains causing severe, invasive infections often have mutations in the control of virulence two-component regulatory system (CovRS) which represses capsule production, and high-level capsule production is considered critical to the GAS hypervirulent phenotype. Additionally, based on studies in emm1 GAS, hyperencapsulation is thought to limit transmission of CovRS-mutated strains by reducing GAS adherence to mucosal surfaces. It has recently been identified that about 30% of invasive GAS strains lacks capsule, but there are limited data regarding the impact of CovS inactivation in such acapsular strains. Using publicly available complete genomes (n = 2,455) of invasive …

Sexually Dimorphic Extracellular Vesicle Responses After Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Are Associated With Neuroinflammation And Neurodegeneration In The Aged Brain, Yun Li, Niaz Khan, Rodney M Ritzel, Zhuofan Lei, Samantha Allen, Alan I Faden, Junfang Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background

Medical advances have made it increasingly possible for spinal cord injury (SCI) survivors to survive decades after the insult. But how SCI affects aging changes and aging impacts the injury process have received limited attention. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are recognized as critical mediators of neuroinflammation after CNS injury, including at a distance from the lesion site. We have previously shown that SCI in young male mice leads to robust changes in plasma EV count and microRNA (miR) content. Here, our goal was to investigate the impact of biological sex and aging on EVs and brain after SCI.

Methods

Young …

Sex-Specific Associations Between Adipokine Profiles And Carotid-Intima Media Thickness In The Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (Cchc), Daeeun Kim, Aylin Memili, Hung-Hsin Chen, Heather M Highland, Hannah G Polikowsky, Mohammad Yaser Anwar, Susan T Laing, Miryoung Lee, Joseph B Mccormick, Susan P Fisher-Hoch, Jennifer E Below, Kari E North, Absalon D Gutierrez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Adipokines are hormones secreted from adipose tissue and are associated with cardiometabolic diseases (CMD). Functional differences between adipokines (leptin, adiponectin, and resistin) are known, but inconsistently reported associations with CMD and lack of studies in Hispanic populations are research gaps. We investigated the relationship between subclinical atherosclerosis and multiple adipokine measures.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort (N = 624; mean age = 50; Female = 70.8%) were utilized to assess associations between adipokines [continuous measures of adiponectin, leptin, resistin, leptin-to-adiponectin ratio (LAR), and adiponectin-resistin index (ARI)] and early atherosclerosis [carotid-intima media thickness (cIMT)]. We adjusted …

Performance Of Urinary Phenyl-Γ-Valerolactones As Biomarkers Of Dietary Flavan-3-Ol Exposure, Benjamin H. Parmenter, Sujata Shinde, Kevin Croft, Kevin Murray, Catherine P. Bondonno, Angela Genoni, Claus T. Christophersen, Keren Bindon, Colin Kay, Pedro Mena, Daniele Del Rio, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Nicola P. Bondonno

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Phenyl- -valerolactones (PVLs) have been identified as biomarkers of dietary flavan-3-ol exposure, although their utility requires further characterization. Objectives: We investigated the performance of a range of PVLs as biomarkers indicative of flavan-3-ol intake. Methods: We report the results of 2 companion studies: a 5-way randomized crossover trial (RCT) and an observational cross-sectional study. In the RCT (World Health Organization, Universal Trial Number: U1111-1236-7988), 16 healthy participants consumed flavan-3-ol–rich interventions (of apple, cocoa, black tea, green tea, or water [control]) for 1 d each. First morning void samples and 24-h urine samples were collected with diet standardized throughout. For …

Nanodiscs: A Novel Approach To The Study Of The Methionine Abc Transporter System, Michael T. Winslow

Master's Theses

Membrane transporter proteins play the vital role of moving compounds in and out of the cell and are essential for all living organisms. ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) family transporters function both as importers and exporters in prokaryotes. MetNI is an E. coli Type I ABC transporter responsible for the uptake of methionine into the cytosol from the cell periplasmic space through the cell membrane to maintain intracellular methionine pools. ABC transporters, like other membrane proteins, are most often mechanistically and structurally studied in vitro, solubilized by detergents. However, detergent micelles may affect the conformational changes of membrane proteins relative to …