Publications by authors named "Michael Murray"

Article Synopsis
  • A 69-year-old Jamaican male with initially diagnosed gastric adenocarcinoma underwent standard treatment, including surgical resection and chemoradiation.
  • Two years later, he experienced dyspareunia and was found to have penile skin changes, leading to a diagnosis of metastatic gastric cancer.
  • After receiving chemotherapy and salvage radiotherapy, he was monitored for 15 months but eventually lost to follow-up and passed away.
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Introduction: It is incompletely understood why some women develop breast cancer 15-20 years earlier than the majority of women. We hypothesize that women with early-onset breast cancer and high-risk family history without germline pathogenic variants in cancer-predisposing genes (CPGs, n = 83) have a higher load of germline high functional impact variants (gHFI) in cancer hallmark genes (n = 1508) compared to healthy controls.

Methods: Germline whole exome sequencing data were analyzed from 5818 breast cancer cases from UKBiobank and from 94 young women with breast cancer without CPG pathogenic variants from the Yale Cancer Prevention Clinic, and compared to 149 controls from Yale GENERATIONS project and 56,917 controls from UKBiobank.

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Intensive care unit (ICU) patients frequently require and benefit from stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) using proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). Despite recognized benefits, PPIs are overutilized in patients who do not have high-risk factors predisposing them to clinically significant gastrointestinal bleeding (CSGIB), including mechanical ventilation and coagulopathy. This overuse increases the risk of adverse effects associated with PPIs.

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Cancer cell mitochondria are functionally different from those in normal cells and could be targeted to develop novel anticancer agents. The aryl-ureido fatty acid CTU (16({[4-chloro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-carbamoyl}amino)hexadecanoic acid) is the prototype of a new class of targeted agents that enhance the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that disrupt the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) and kill cancer cells. However, the mechanism by which CTU disrupts the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) and activates apoptosis is not clear.

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Introduction: The scale of the COVID-19 vaccine program, and appropriate focus on older individuals, emphasised monitoring of mortality as an important part of COVID-19 vaccine safety surveillance, noting many deaths temporally associated with vaccination may not be causally related. This cross-sectional study describes Victoria's vaccine safety service (SAEFVIC) process of reviewing mortality reports following COVID-19 vaccination, summarises report characteristics and identifies trends in mortality reporting.

Methods: Mortality cases reported to SAEFVIC following COVID-19 vaccination from 22 February 2021 to 22 February 2023 were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • TIF 2.0 is an advanced endoscopic procedure for treating GERD, showing high clinical success (94%) and significant symptom improvement in patients after one year.
  • In a study of 81 patients, most reported a dramatic increase in satisfaction from 8% to 79%, and many reduced their reliance on proton pump inhibitors from 81% to 80% post-procedure.
  • The procedure demonstrated safety with no serious adverse events reported, confirming its effectiveness as an outpatient treatment for appropriate GERD patients.
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Article Synopsis
  • Human genetic studies often lack diversity, which limits understanding of disease causes and health disparities.
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs Million Veteran Program analyzed data from a diverse group of 635,969 veterans, revealing 13,672 genomic risk loci, with significant findings particularly from non-European populations.
  • The research identified causal variants across 613 traits, showing that genetic similarities exist across populations and emphasizing the importance of including underrepresented groups in genetic research.
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This data article curates datasets from Freddie Mac's Single-Family Loan-Level Dataset (SFLLD) quarterly snapshots. The SFLLD tracks loan originations in the USA along with the ensuing repayment trends. This live dataset undergoes quarterly updates.

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The cancer cell mitochondrion could be a promising target for the development of new anticancer agents. 16-([3-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)-phenyl]carbamoylamino)hexadecanoic acid (2) is a novel aryl-urea fatty acid that targets the mitochondrion in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and activates cell death. In the present study, the relationships between alkyl chain length in 2 analogues, mitochondrial disruption and cell killing were evaluated.

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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)'s resistance to therapies is mainly attributed to pancreatic cancer stem cells (PCSCs). Mitochondria-impairing agents can be used to hamper PCSC propagation and reduce PDAC progression. Therefore, to develop an efficient vector for delivering drugs to the mitochondria, we synthesized tris(3,5-dimethylphenyl)phosphonium-conjugated palmitic acid.

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Cardiac fibroblasts are pivotal regulators of cardiac homeostasis and are essential in the repair of the heart after myocardial infarction (MI), but their function can also become dysregulated, leading to adverse cardiac remodelling involving both fibrosis and hypertrophy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding RNAs that target mRNAs to prevent their translation, with specific miRNAs showing differential expression and regulation in cardiovascular disease. Here, we show that miR-214-3p is enriched in the fibroblast fraction of the murine heart, and its levels are increased with cardiac remodelling associated with heart failure, or in the acute phase after experimental MI.

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Aspergillosis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in penguins, with triazole antifungal drugs being commonly used for prophylaxis and treatment. This report describes 15 cases of fatal hemolysis associated with liquid itraconazole and voriconazole formulations administered to African penguins () from four institutions. All penguins underwent stressful events (e.

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Mitochondrial uncoupling by small molecule protonophores is a promising strategy for developing novel anticancer agents. Recently, aryl urea substituted fatty acids (aryl ureas) were identified as a new class of protonophoric anticancer agents. To mediate proton transport these molecules self-assemble into membrane-permeable anionic dimers in which intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the carboxylate and aryl-urea anion receptor delocalise the negative charge across the aromatic π-system.

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Current treatment options for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are limited to toxic drug combinations of low efficacy. We recently identified an aryl-substituted fatty acid analogue, termed CTU, that effectively killed TNBC cells in vitro and in mouse xenograft models in vivo without producing toxicity. However, there was a residual cell population that survived treatment.

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Introduction: ω-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have a range of health benefits, including anticancer activity, and are converted to lipid mediators that could be adapted into pharmacological strategies. However, the stability of these mediators must be improved, and they may require formulation to achieve optimal tissue concentrations.

Areas Covered: Herein, the author reviews the literature around chemical stabilization and formulation of ω-3 PUFA mediators and their application in anticancer drug discovery.

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Background: Premature peripheral artery disease (PAD), defined by lower extremity revascularization (LER) at age ≤ 50 years, is associated with poor major adverse limb events. The early onset of disease is thought to be influenced by genetic factors that regulate homeostasis of the vascular wall and coagulation. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of anticoagulation as an adjunct to antiplatelet therapy on the outcomes of LER in patients with premature PAD.

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Female cancer survivors have a higher chance of experiencing infertility than females without a history of cancer diagnosis. This risk remains high despite advances in fertility treatments. There is a need to augment fertility treatments with cost-effective methods such as nutritional guidance to improve fertility chances.

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Introduction: This study investigates if inexpensive computer hardware, open-source computer vision and a phosphor screen from disused CR (computed radiography) Cassette can be used to quantitatively assess beam shape and area.

Materials And Methods: The phosphor screen was affixed to a Carestream CS 8100 dental OPG system and the camera was mounted above the X-ray tube. Videos were acquired of the green light emissions during the tomographic irradiation.

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Objective: Development of clinical phenotypes from electronic health records (EHRs) can be resource intensive. Several phenotype libraries have been created to facilitate reuse of definitions. However, these platforms vary in target audience and utility.

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Asunaprevir, daclatasvir, and beclabuvir are direct-acting antiviral agents used in the treatment of patients infected with hepatitis C genotype 1b. This article reviews the biotransformation and disposition of these drugs in relation to the safety and efficacy of therapy. CYP3A4 and 3A5 catalyze the oxidative biotransformation of the drugs, while P-glycoprotein mediates their efflux from tissues.

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Autophagy is a form of programmed cell degradation that enables the maintenance of homeostasis in response to extracellular stress stimuli. Autophagy is primarily activated by starvation and mediates the degradation, removal, or recycling of cell cytoplasm, organelles, and intracellular components in eukaryotic cells. Autophagy is also involved in the pathogenesis of human diseases, including several cancers.

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spp., including , are zoonotic bacterial pathogens that can cause morbidity and mortality in mammals, fish, reptiles, birds, and humans. The southern sea otter (SSO; ) is a federally-listed threatened species for which infectious disease is a major cause of mortality.

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Article Synopsis
  • Peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects over 200 million people globally, and researchers are exploring its genetic factors to improve diagnosis and treatment.
  • A systematic review analyzed 231 DNA variants from various studies, revealing inconsistencies in how PAD is defined and controlled.
  • While some consistent genetic variants linked to PAD were identified through genome-wide studies, more research is necessary to better understand the disease's progression and enhance patient outcomes.
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Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading life-threatening health challenge worldwide, with pressing needs for novel therapeutic strategies. Sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1), a well-established pro-cancer enzyme, is aberrantly overexpressed in a multitude of malignancies, including HCC. Our previous research has shown that genetic ablation of Sphk1 mitigates HCC progression in mice.

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Children with autism frequently present with complex mental health diagnoses and psychotropic medications are often a component of comprehensive biopsychosocial treatment plans for these conditions. The purpose of this study is to provide rates and patterns of psychotropic medication use, and predictors thereof, in children and youth with autism enrolled in Medicaid across the US. This study examined national Medicaid claims from 2008 to 2016 of all children and youth with autism ages 0-21 years enrolled in Medicaid.

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