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1.
Am J Hosp Palliat Care ; : 10499091241268549, 2024 Aug 02.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39094102

RESUMEN

CONTEXT: Spiritual care is recognition of patient and caregiver spiritual/religious needs and attention to those needs. Caregivers of African American hospice patients are more likely to report worse emotional/religious support. Yet, spiritual care delivery and roles of community clergy and chaplains for African American hospice patients are not well understood. OBJECTIVES: Examine who provides spiritual care to African American hospice patients and caregivers. METHODS: Partnering with large, urban/suburban community hospice, we interviewed caregivers of deceased African American hospice patients (n = 12), their clergy (n = 3) and chaplains (n = 5). Using a phenomenological qualitative study design, we coded transcripts and deceased patient chart data and conducted thematic analysis to identify themes. RESULTS: Community clergy and chaplains tend to not interact and provide different aspects of emotional, religious and spiritual support to hospice patients and families. Clergy and chaplains agreed that rapport and openness of the patient were main factors in meeting spiritual care needs. Clergy provided interaction with a trusted person and connection to church, congregational support, religious beliefs/theology, and practices. Chaplains focused on present needs and issues of death and dying. CONCLUSION: Clergy and chaplains have distinct, complementary roles in providing spiritual care to African American hospice patients and families. Both are needed to provide desired spiritual care for African American hospice patients and their caregivers. Robust spiritual care programs need to ensure chaplains have sufficient time to spend with patients and families and incorporate collaboration, handoffs and integrated processes for clergy and chaplains. Research is needed on effectively including clergy in hospice spiritual care delivery.

2.
J Surg Oncol ; 2024 Aug 04.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39099211

RESUMEN

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are sarcomas affecting the stomach and small intestine, with a rare subtype characterized by succinate dehydrogenase B (SDHB)-loss posing significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. A 62-year-old man with weight loss and abdominal pain was diagnosed with a gastric GIST showing SDHB-loss. Initial treatment with Imatinib reduced the tumor size, but surgery revealed no residual tumor. Despite adjuvant Imatinib, recurrence occurred, necessitating further surgical intervention. While GISTs typically benefit from surgery and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), those with SDHB-loss are resistant to TKIs, requiring a different management approach. This case emphasizes the importance of surgical intervention for SDHB-deficient GISTs and the need for ongoing research into effective treatments for this subtype.

3.
Fluids Barriers CNS ; 21(1): 64, 2024 Aug 08.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39118132

RESUMEN

Given the persistent challenge of differentiating idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (iNPH) from similar clinical entities, we conducted an in-depth proteomic study of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in 28 shunt-responsive iNPH patients, 38 Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease, and 49 healthy controls. Utilizing the Olink Explore 3072 panel, we identified distinct proteomic profiles in iNPH that highlight significant downregulation of synaptic markers and cell-cell adhesion proteins. Alongside vimentin and inflammatory markers upregulation, these results suggest ependymal layer and transependymal flow dysfunction. Moreover, downregulation of multiple proteins associated with congenital hydrocephalus (e.g., L1CAM, PCDH9, ISLR2, ADAMTSL2, and B4GAT1) points to a possible shared molecular foundation between congenital hydrocephalus and iNPH. Through orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), a panel comprising 13 proteins has been identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers of iNPH, pending external validation. These findings offer novel insights into the pathophysiology of iNPH, with implications for improved diagnosis.


Asunto(s)
Hidrocéfalo Normotenso , Proteómica , Humanos , Hidrocéfalo Normotenso/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Proteómica/métodos , Masculino , Femenino , Anciano , Biomarcadores/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Disfunción Cognitiva/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Disfunción Cognitiva/metabolismo , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Enfermedad de Alzheimer/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Enfermedad de Alzheimer/metabolismo , Persona de Mediana Edad
4.
Cureus ; 16(7): e65025, 2024 Jul.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39165475

RESUMEN

Introduction Polysomnography (PSG) is considered the gold standard diagnostic test for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children. However, the anatomic location of upper airway obstruction in these patients cannot be determined by PSG, especially in children with complex upper airway obstruction. CT imaging and endoscopic evaluation have been proposed for the evaluation of upper airways in these children. However, cinematic magnetic resonance imaging (Cine-MRI) is a safer, less invasive, and potentially more useful tool for dynamic and anatomical evaluation of upper airways. We here describe the diagnostic outcomes of Cine-MRI in our cohort of children with OSA and suspected complex upper airway obstruction. Methods A retrospective chart review of clinical and radiological data of all children with PSG confirmed diagnosis of OSA and who underwent upper airway evaluation using Cine-MRI. Upper airways were evaluated at three different levels: nasopharynx, oropharynx, and supraglottic, during both inspiration and expiration. Fractional collapse (FC) at different levels was used to evaluate dynamic airway collapse and was defined as the difference between maximum and minimum airway dimensions divided by the maximum dimensions. Results Eight children (five females and three males) were included. Median age was 8.5 months (range: one month to 16 years). Cine-MRIs identified upper airway obstruction in all patients. Additionally, 50% of the patients had more than one level of obstruction, mainly the nasopharynx and oropharynx. There was a positive correlation between the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and FC in the anteroposterior dimension at the nasopharyngeal and the oropharyngeal levels, but it did not reach statistical significance. However, there was a statistically significant negative correlation between AHI and FC in the transverse dimension at the oropharyngeal level. Cine-MRI was helpful in continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration in two patients and was helpful in planning surgical intervention in two patients. Conclusion Cine-MRI is a helpful diagnostic tool in evaluating patients with complex upper airway obstruction and can direct potential surgical and non-surgical intervention in pediatric patients with complex upper airway obstruction.

5.
Microbiol Resour Announc ; : e0031324, 2024 Aug 20.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39162443

RESUMEN

Colistin is one of the last-line treatments for multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. The emergence of mobile colistin resistance genes has driven global concern and triggered the need for surveillance. Our report reveals the identification of mcr-9.1 and mcr-10.1 in Ecuador by employing a proximity ligation technique.

6.
J Chem Inf Model ; 2024 Jul 24.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39045738

RESUMEN

Knotted proteins are present in nature, but there is still an open issue regarding the existence of a universal role for these remarkable structures. To address this question, we used classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations combined with in vitro experiments to investigate the role of the Gordian knot in the catalytic activity of UCH-L1. To create an unknotted form of UCH-L1, we modified its amino acid sequence by truncating several residues from its N-terminus. Remarkably, we find that deleting the first two N-terminal residues leads to a partial loss of enzyme activity with conservation of secondary structural content and knotted topological state. This happens because the integrity of the N-terminus is critical to ensure the correct alignment of the catalytic triad. However, the removal of five residues from the N-terminus, which significantly disrupts the native structure and the topological state, leads to a complete loss of enzymatic activity. Overall, our findings indicate that UCH-L1's catalytic activity depends critically on the integrity of the N-terminus and the secondary structure content, with the latter being strongly coupled with the knotted topological state.

7.
Ecol Appl ; : e3006, 2024 Jul 19.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39030911

RESUMEN

Enhancing resilience in formerly degraded ecosystems is an important goal of restoration ecology. However, evidence for the recovery of resilience and its underlying mechanisms require long-term experiments and comparison with reference ecosystems. We used data from an experimental prairie restoration that featured long-term soil heterogeneity manipulations and data from two long-term experiments located in a comparable remnant (reference) prairie to (1) quantify the recovery of ecosystem functioning (i.e., productivity) relative to remnant prairie, (2) compare the resilience of restored and remnant prairies to a natural drought, and (3) test whether soil heterogeneity enhances resilience of restored prairie. We compared sensitivity and legacy effects between prairie types (remnant and restored) and among four prairie sites that included two remnant prairie sites and prairie restored under homogeneous and heterogeneous soil conditions. We measured sensitivity and resilience as the proportional change in aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) during and following drought (sensitivity and legacy effects, respectively) relative to average ANPP based on 4 pre-drought years (2014-2017). In nondrought years, total ANPP was similar between remnant and restored prairie, but remnant prairie had higher grass productivity and lower forb productivity compared with restored prairie. These ANPP patterns generally persisted during drought. The sensitivity of total ANPP to drought was similar between restored and remnant prairie, but grasses in the restored prairie were more sensitive to drought. Post-drought legacy effects were more positive in the restored prairie, and we attributed this to the more positive and less variable legacy response of forb ANPP in the restored prairie, especially in the heterogeneous soil treatment. Our results suggest that productivity recovers in restored prairie and exhibits similar sensitivity to drought as in remnant prairie. Furthermore, creating heterogeneity promotes forb productivity and enhances restored prairie resilience to drought.

8.
J Am Chem Soc ; 146(30): 20728-20741, 2024 Jul 31.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39037349

RESUMEN

In the context of carbon reutilization, the direct electroreduction of captured CO2 (c-CO2RR) appears as an appealing approach since it avoids the energetically costly separation of CO2 from the capture agent. In this process, CO2 is directly reduced from its captured form. Here, we investigate the influence of the capture agent and proton source on that reaction from a combination of theory and experiment. Specifically, we consider methoxide-captured CO2, NH3-captured CO2, and bicarbonate on silver electrocatalysts. We show that the proton source plays a key role in the interplay of the chemistries for the electroreduction of protons, free CO2, and captured CO2. Our density functional theory calculations, including the influence of the potential, demonstrate that a proton source with smaller pKa improves the reactivity for c-CO2RR, but also increases the selectivity toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on silver surfaces. Since c-CO2RR requires an additional chemical protonation step, the influence of the proton source is stronger than that of the HER. However, c-CO2RR cannot compete with the HER on Ag, Experimentally, the dominant product observed is H2 with low amounts of CO being produced. Through a rotating cylinder electrode cell of well-defined mass-transport properties, we conclude that although methanol solvent exhibits a lower HER activity, HER remains dominant over c-CO2RR. Our work suggests that methoxide is a potential alternative capture agent to NH3 for direct reduction of captured CO2, though challenges in catalyst design, particularly in reducing the onset potential of c-CO2RR to surpass the HER, remain to be addressed.

9.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 6307, 2024 Jul 26.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39060228

RESUMEN

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a pediatric tumor that resembles undifferentiated muscle cells; yet the extent to which cell state heterogeneity is shared with human development has not been described. Using single-cell/nucleus RNA sequencing from patient tumors, patient-derived xenografts, primary in vitro cultures, and cell lines, we identify four dominant muscle-lineage cell states: progenitor, proliferative, differentiated, and ground cells. We stratify these RMS cells/nuclei along the continuum of human muscle development and show that they share expression patterns with fetal/embryonal myogenic precursors rather than postnatal satellite cells. Fusion-negative RMS (FN-RMS) have a discrete stem cell hierarchy that recapitulates fetal muscle development and contain therapy-resistant FN-RMS progenitors that share transcriptomic similarity with bipotent skeletal mesenchymal cells. Fusion-positive RMS have tumor-acquired cells states, including a neuronal cell state, that are not found in myogenic development. This work identifies previously underappreciated cell state heterogeneity including unique treatment-resistant and tumor-acquired cell states that differ across RMS subtypes.


Asunto(s)
Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Rabdomiosarcoma , Análisis de la Célula Individual , Transcriptoma , Humanos , Rabdomiosarcoma/genética , Rabdomiosarcoma/patología , Rabdomiosarcoma/metabolismo , Análisis de la Célula Individual/métodos , Animales , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica/métodos , Línea Celular Tumoral , Ratones , Niño , Resistencia a Antineoplásicos/genética , Diferenciación Celular , Desarrollo de Músculos/genética , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica
10.
Cureus ; 16(6): e62423, 2024 Jun.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39011199

RESUMEN

We report the case of a patient who sustained a right proximal radial shaft fracture. He experienced isolated flexor pollicis longus weakness as a result of a partial anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) injury. The incidence of AIN injury is recognized as an exceptional postoperative complication for this particular type of fracture. It might be helpful to do electrodiagnostic investigations to confirm the diagnosis. A complete clinical recovery of the nerve occurred 16 weeks following the surgical operation.

11.
Exp Dermatol ; 33(8): e15146, 2024 Aug.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39075828

RESUMEN

Patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) experience numerous complications, which are exacerbated by inflammatory dysregulation and infection. Understanding the immunological mechanisms is crucial for selecting medications that balance inflammation control and immunocompetence. In this cross-sectional study, aiming to identify potential immunotherapeutic targets and inflammatory biomarkers, we delved into the interrelationship between clinical severity and systemic inflammatory parameters in a representative RDEB cohort. Encompassing 84 patients aged 1-67 and spanning all three Epidermolysis Bullosa Disease Activity and Scarring Index (EBDASI) severity categories, we analysed the interrelationship of infection history, standard inflammatory markers, systemic cytokines and Ig levels to elucidate their roles in RDEB pathophysiology. Our findings identify C-reactive protein as an excellent biomarker for disease severity in RDEB. A type 2 inflammatory profile prevails among moderate and severe RDEB patients, correlating with dysregulated circulating IgA and IgG. These results underscore the IL4/IL13 pathways as potential evidence-based therapeutic targets. Moreover, the complete inflammatory scenario aligns with Staphylococcus aureus virulence mechanisms. Concurrently, abnormalities in IgG, IgE and IgM levels suggest an immunodeficiency state in a substantial number of the cohort's patients. Our results provide new insights into the interplay of infection and immunological factors in the pathogenesis of RDEB.


Asunto(s)
Biomarcadores , Proteína C-Reactiva , Epidermólisis Ampollosa Distrófica , Interleucina-13 , Interleucina-4 , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Humanos , Estudios Transversales , Biomarcadores/sangre , Niño , Preescolar , Interleucina-4/sangre , Adolescente , Proteína C-Reactiva/metabolismo , Adulto , Adulto Joven , Femenino , Masculino , Lactante , Persona de Mediana Edad , Interleucina-13/sangre , Interleucina-13/metabolismo , Anciano
12.
Cureus ; 16(5): e61316, 2024 May.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38947702

RESUMEN

This report presents a case of ipsilateral foot drop and erectile dysfunction following the use of a traction table during intramedullary femur fixation. The patient, a 39-year-old male, underwent surgery for a femur fracture using an intramedullary nail and was positioned on a traction table during the procedure. Post-operatively, he developed foot drop and erectile dysfunction. Neurological examination revealed peroneal nerve injury as the likely cause of the foot drop. The erectile dysfunction was attributed to pudendal nerve injury. Various treatment options were considered, including physical therapy for foot drop and phosphodiesterase inhibitors for erectile dysfunction. In conclusion, this case underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing potential complications associated with traction table use in orthopedic procedures, particularly concerning neurological sequelae and sexual dysfunction.

13.
Can Geriatr J ; 27(2): 178-182, 2024 Jun.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38827430

RESUMEN

The Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship Subspecialty survey aimed to identify key motivating factors associated with choosing geriatric psychiatry as a career, and to assess training satisfaction among geriatric psychiatry fellows/residents in Canada and the United States. American and Canadian geriatric psychiatry program directors were asked to distribute an online survey to their fellows. Descriptive statistics for quantitative items and Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to assess for differences by country of training. Thirty-one geriatric psychiatry fellows completed the survey. The most important motivating factors for pursuing a career in geriatric psychiatry were found to be "working with patients and families", "working in an interdisciplinary environment", and "intellectual stimulation". Fellows' overall training satisfaction was high, with American fellows more satisfied than Canadian residents (p = .047) on average, especially with regard to biomedical aspects of training (p = .01).

14.
Neurol Ther ; 13(4): 1237-1257, 2024 Aug.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38878129

RESUMEN

INTRODUCTION: Persons with Parkinson's disease (PwPD) suffer from motor and non-motor symptoms which significantly affect their quality of life (QoL), and the QoL of their care partners (CP). Tandem cycling reduces PwPD motor symptoms; however, no studies have examined other benefits or included PwPD CP. We conducted an 8-week community virtual reality (VR) tandem cycling intervention to assess the feasibility and efficacy for PwPD and their CP (i.e., PD dyads). We hypothesized that dyadic tandem cycling would improve (1) PwPD motor and non-motor symptoms and (2) dimensions of PD dyads' QoL and physiologic health. METHODS: Ten PD dyads were recruited to complete 8 weeks of progressive intensity, bi-weekly tandem cycling. At pre- and post-testing, PwPD were assessed using the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale-III (MDS-UPDRS-III), functional gait assessment (FGA), and 10-m gait speed test. PD dyads also completed emotional and cognitive status questionnaires [e.g., Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS-SF)], and wore BodyGuard 2 heart rate (HR) monitors for 48 h to assess surrogate measures of heart rate variability. Statistical analyses were conducted using Student's t tests with significance set at p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: Eight PD dyads and one PwPD completed the intervention. Retention of PwPD (90%) and CP (80%) was adequate, and PD dyad adherence ranged from 91.67 to 97.91%. PwPD demonstrated significant clinical improvements in MDS-UPDRS-III scores (- 7.38, p < 0.01), FGA scores (+ 3.50, p < 0.01), and 10-m gait speed times (+ 0.27 m/s, p < 0.01), in addition to significant self-reported improvements in mobility (- 13.61, p = 0.02), fatigue (- 5.99, p = 0.02), and social participation (+ 4.69, p < 0.01). CP depressive symptoms significantly decreased (- 0.88, p = 0.02), and PD dyads shared a significant increase in root mean square of the successive differences (RMSSD; p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Our pilot study demonstrated feasibility and multiple areas of efficacy supporting further investigation of community VR tandem cycling as a therapeutic intervention for PD dyads.

15.
J Neuroinflammation ; 21(1): 161, 2024 Jun 24.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38915059

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Pediatric acute transverse myelitis (ATM) accounts for 20-30% of children presenting with a first acquired demyelinating syndrome (ADS) and may be the first clinical presentation of a relapsing ADS such as multiple sclerosis (MS). B cells have been strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of adult MS. However, little is known about B cells in pediatric MS, and even less so in pediatric ATM. Our lab previously showed that plasmablasts (PB), the earliest B cell subtype producing antibody, are expanded in adult ATM, and that these PBs produce self-reactive antibodies that target neurons. The goal of this study was to examine PB frequency and phenotype, immunoglobulin selection, and B cell receptor reactivity in pediatric patients presenting with ATM to gain insight to B cell involvement in disease. METHODS: We compared the PB frequency and phenotype of 5 pediatric ATM patients and 10 pediatric healthy controls (HC) and compared them to previously reported adult ATM patients using cytometric data. We purified bulk IgG from the plasma samples and cloned 20 recombinant human antibodies (rhAbs) from individual PBs isolated from the blood. Plasma-derived IgG and rhAb autoreactivity was measured by mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) in neurons and astrocytes of murine brain or spinal cord and primary human astrocytes. We determined the potential impact of these rhAbs on astrocyte health by measuring stress and apoptotic response. RESULTS: We found that pediatric ATM patients had a reduced frequency of peripheral blood PB. Serum IgG autoreactivity to neurons in EAE spinal cord was similar in the pediatric ATM patients and HC. However, serum IgG autoreactivity to astrocytes in EAE spinal cord was reduced in pediatric ATM patients compared to pediatric HC. Astrocyte-binding strength of rhAbs cloned from PBs was dependent on somatic hypermutation accumulation in the pediatric ATM cohort, but not HC. A similar observation in predilection for astrocyte binding over neuron binding of individual antibodies cloned from PBs was made in EAE brain tissue. Finally, exposure of human primary astrocytes to these astrocyte-binding antibodies increased astrocytic stress but did not lead to apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Discordance in humoral immune responses to astrocytes may distinguish pediatric ATM from HC.


Asunto(s)
Astrocitos , Mielitis Transversa , Humanos , Mielitis Transversa/inmunología , Animales , Femenino , Astrocitos/metabolismo , Astrocitos/inmunología , Niño , Ratones , Masculino , Adolescente , Células Plasmáticas/inmunología , Células Plasmáticas/metabolismo , Autoanticuerpos/inmunología , Autoanticuerpos/sangre , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Células Cultivadas , Preescolar , Inmunoglobulina G/inmunología , Inmunoglobulina G/sangre , Médula Espinal/metabolismo , Médula Espinal/inmunología , Médula Espinal/patología
16.
Biol Lett ; 20(6): 20240066, 2024 Jun.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38836647

RESUMEN

Metabolism drives various biological processes, potentially influencing the ecological success and evolutionary fitness of species. Understanding diverse metabolic rates is fundamental in biology. Mechanisms underlying adaptation to factors like temperature and predation pressure remain unclear. Our study explored the role of temperature and predation pressure in shaping the metabolic scaling of an invasive mussel species (Brachidontes pharaonis). Specifically, we performed laboratory-based experiments to assess the effects of phenotypic plasticity on the metabolic scaling by exposing the mussels to water conditions with and without predator cues from another invasive species (the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus) across various temperature regimes. We found that temperature effects on metabolic scaling of the invasive mussels are mediated by the presence of chemical cues of an invasive predator, the blue crab. Investigating temperature-predator interactions underscores the importance of studying the ecological effects of global warming. Our research advances our understanding of how environmental factors jointly impact physiological processes.


Asunto(s)
Señales (Psicología) , Especies Introducidas , Conducta Predatoria , Temperatura , Animales , Braquiuros/fisiología , Bivalvos/fisiología , Bivalvos/metabolismo
17.
Transl Res ; 272: 95-110, 2024 Jun 12.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38876188

RESUMEN

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent and aggressive primary brain cancer. The Src inhibitor, TAT-Cx43266-283, exerts antitumor effects in in vitro and in vivo models of GBM. Because addressing the mechanism of action is essential to translate these results to a clinical setting, in this study we carried out an unbiased proteomic approach. Data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry proteomics allowed the identification of 190 proteins whose abundance was modified by TAT-Cx43266-283. Our results were consistent with the inhibition of Src as the mechanism of action of TAT-Cx43266-283 and unveiled antitumor effectors, such as p120 catenin. Changes in the abundance of several proteins suggested that TAT-Cx43266-283 may also impact the brain microenvironment. Importantly, the proteins whose abundance was reduced by TAT-Cx43266-283 correlated with an improved GBM patient survival in clinical datasets and none of the proteins whose abundance was increased by TAT-Cx43266-283 correlated with shorter survival, supporting its use in clinical trials.

18.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 13473, 2024 06 12.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38866800

RESUMEN

Aging enhances numerous processes that compromise homeostasis and pathophysiological processes. Among these, activated HSCs play a pivotal role in advancing liver fibrosis. This research delved into how aging impacts liver fibrosis mechanisms. The study involved 32 albino rats categorized into four groups: Group I (young controls), Group II (young with liver fibrosis), Group III (old controls), and Group IV (old with liver fibrosis). Various parameters including serum ALT, adiponectin, leptin, and cholesterol levels were evaluated. Histopathological analysis was performed, alongside assessments of TGF-ß, FOXP3, and CD133 gene expressions. Markers of fibrosis and apoptosis were the highest in group IV. Adiponectin levels significantly decreased in Group IV compared to all other groups except Group II, while cholesterol levels were significantly higher in liver fibrosis groups than their respective control groups. Group III displayed high hepatic expression of desmin, α-SMA, GFAP and TGF- ß and in contrast to Group I. Increased TGF-ß and FOXP3 gene expressions were observed in Group IV relative to Group II, while CD133 gene expression decreased in Group IV compared to Group II. In conclusion, aging modulates immune responses, impairs regenerative capacities via HSC activation, and influences adipokine and cholesterol levels, elevating the susceptibility to liver fibrosis.


Asunto(s)
Envejecimiento , Células Estrelladas Hepáticas , Cirrosis Hepática , Animales , Células Estrelladas Hepáticas/metabolismo , Células Estrelladas Hepáticas/patología , Cirrosis Hepática/metabolismo , Cirrosis Hepática/patología , Cirrosis Hepática/genética , Ratas , Masculino , Factor de Crecimiento Transformador beta/metabolismo , Colesterol/metabolismo , Colesterol/sangre , Apoptosis , Hígado/metabolismo , Hígado/patología
19.
Front Psychol ; 15: 1114811, 2024.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38903475

RESUMEN

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an idiopathic, fatal, and fast-progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons. ALS patients often experience an initial misdiagnosis or a diagnostic delay due to the current unavailability of an efficient biomarker. Since impaired speech is typical in ALS, we hypothesized that functional differences between healthy and ALS participants during speech tasks can be explained by cortical pattern changes, thereby leading to the identification of a neural biomarker for ALS. In this pilot study, we collected magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings from three early-diagnosed patients with ALS and three healthy controls during imagined (covert) and overt speech tasks. First, we computed sensor correlations, which showed greater correlations for speakers with ALS than healthy controls. Second, we compared the power of the MEG signals in canonical bands between the two groups, which showed greater dissimilarity in the beta band for ALS participants. Third, we assessed differences in functional connectivity, which showed greater beta band connectivity for ALS than healthy controls. Finally, we performed single-trial classification, which resulted in highest performance with beta band features (∼ 98%). These findings were consistent across trials, phrases, and participants for both imagined and overt speech tasks. Our preliminary results indicate that speech-evoked beta oscillations could be a potential neural biomarker for diagnosing ALS. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the detection of ALS from single-trial neural signals.

20.
PEC Innov ; 4: 100286, 2024 Dec.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38770044

RESUMEN

Objective: Investigators should return study results to patients and families facing cancer to honor their research contributions. We created a found poem from transcripts of sexual and gender minority (SGM) couples facing cancer and returned it to study participants. Methods: Participants were randomized to receive the found poem in text, text and audio, audio, or video format, completed dissemination preferences and emotion questionnaires, and open-ended questions about their experience receiving the poem. Results: Participants preferred the format they received (n = 15, 75.0%), with text-only and combined text and audio formats evoking the greatest number of emotions (n = 13 each). The following categories and subcategories were identified: dyadic experiences (support, strength, depth, durability); dissemination preferences (timing, method); emotion (positive, negative); utility of the found poem (affirming; fostering reflection; not useful or inaccurate, and sense of community). SGM participants utilized positive emotion, affirming, and a sense of community with greater frequency than non-SGM participants. Conclusion: Innovative approaches to dissemination are acceptable; providing choices in how and when participants receive results may increase engagement; and SGM versus non-SGM groups may describe dyadic experiences differently. Innovation: Returning study results via found poetry is an innovative way to honor research participants facing cancer.

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