Publications by authors named "A Sikand"

Article Synopsis
  • Little information exists about the impact of lipid-lowering medications on people over 75 years old, but a study assessed their effects on severe atherosclerosis in this age group.
  • The study analyzed data from 1,404 patients aged 75 and older, finding that those on lipid-lowering medications had a longer survival time free of severe atherosclerosis and less plaque progression compared to those not on the medication.
  • The findings suggest that lipid-lowering therapy is beneficial for older adults, helping to manage atherosclerosis, and monitoring plaque burden could help determine who might benefit from this treatment.
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Homologs of the mutagenic Escherichia coli DNA polymerase V (pol V) are encoded by numerous pathogens and mobile elements. We have used Rum pol (RumA'2B), from the integrative conjugative element (ICE), R391, as a model mobile element-encoded polymerase (MEPol). The highly mutagenic Rum pol is transferred horizontally into a variety of recipient cells, including many pathogens.

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In the mid 1970s, Miroslav Radman and Evelyn Witkin proposed that must encode a specialized error-prone DNA polymerase (pol) to account for the 100-fold increase in mutations accompanying induction of the SOS regulon. By the late 1980s, genetic studies showed that SOS mutagenesis required the presence of two "UV mutagenesis" genes, and , along with . Guided by the genetics, decades of biochemical studies have defined the predicted error-prone DNA polymerase as an activated complex of these three gene products, assembled as a mutasome, pol V Mut = UmuD'C-RecA-ATP.

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Context: We examined if empagliflozin was associated with modulation of cardiac autonomic tone among subjects with type 2 diabetes and stable coronary artery disease (CAD) relative to placebo.

Methods: Using ambulatory 24-h Holter electrocardiographic data prospectively collected from a randomized trial, we compared changes in heart rate variability (HRV) parameters between empagliflozin- and placebo-assigned subjects over a follow-up period of 6 months. Measured HRV domains included: standard deviation (SD) of NN intervals (SDNN), SD of average NN intervals per 5-min (SDANN), root mean square of successive RR interval differences (RMSSD), % successive NN intervals differing >50 ms (ms) (pNN50), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) and the LF/HF ratio (LF:HF).

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Mutagenic translesion DNA polymerase V (UmuD'2C) is induced as part of the DNA damage-induced SOS response in Escherichia coli, and is subjected to multiple levels of regulation. The UmuC subunit is sequestered on the cell membrane (spatial regulation) and enters the cytosol after forming a UmuD'2C complex, ~ 45 min post-SOS induction (temporal regulation). However, DNA binding and synthesis cannot occur until pol V interacts with a RecA nucleoprotein filament (RecA*) and ATP to form a mutasome complex, pol V Mut = UmuD'2C-RecA-ATP.

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