Publications by authors named "Al Pierce"

Background And Objectives: Nicotinamide is a coenzyme involved in cellular oxidation-reduction reactions that can inhibit Class III histone deacetylases (HDACs) or sirtuins. HDAC inhibition can affect numerous therapeutic pathways, including tau phosphorylation. We tested the hypothesis that nicotinamide treatment could reduce tau phosphorylation in early Alzheimer disease (AD).

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Urban centers located on the coast expose some of the most vulnerable populations to the effects of climate change. In addition to the challenges faced by high population densities and interdependent social-ecological systems, there is an increasing demand for resources. Exposing the pinch points that are already sensitive to extreme weather, highlights the urban systems that will be least resilient in the face of climate change.

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Background: Participant discontinuation from study treatment in a clinical trial can leave a trial underpowered, produce bias in statistical analysis, and limit interpretability of study results. Retaining participants in clinical trials for the full study duration is therefore as important as participant recruitment.

Objective: This analysis aims to identify associations of pre-randomization characteristics of participants with premature discontinuation during the blinded phase of the Anti-Amyloid treatment in Asymptomatic AD (A4) Study.

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  • The growth and reproductive health of iteroparous female salmonids, such as rainbow trout, are affected by factors after spawning, including energy depletion from fasting and migration.
  • A study involving 30 weeks of sampling revealed that plasma levels of estradiol-17β and insulin-like growth factor-1 decreased initially post-spawn but started to increase later, with feed-restricted fish showing lower hormone levels.
  • Growth rates and overall condition were better in fish that received standard rations versus those on restricted rations, indicating two main phases: recovery and energy restoration in the first 8 weeks, followed by hormone adjustments based on food availability in the subsequent weeks.
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  • Researchers investigated protic ruthenium complexes with dihydroxybipyridine (dhbp) ligands and spectator ligands (like bpy and phen) to evaluate their effectiveness against cancer cells and their luminescent properties.
  • The study focuses on 16 complexes derived from two protonation states (acidic and deprotonated), including new complexes that were synthesized and characterized through spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.
  • Key findings show that certain complexes can be activated by light to exhibit photocytotoxicity, with specific complex characteristics such as longer luminescent lifetimes correlating with improved effectiveness against cancer cells.
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Hatchery programs designed to conserve and increase the abundance of natural populations of spring Chinook Salmon O have reported high proportions of males precociously maturing at age 2, called minijacks. High proportions of minijacks detract from hatchery supplementation, conservation and production goals. This study tested the effects of rearing juvenile Chinook Salmon under continuous light (LL) on minijack maturation in two trials.

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Consecutive and skip repeat spawning (1- or ≥2-year spawning interval) life histories commonly occur in seasonally breeding iteroparous fishes. Spawning interval variation is driven by energetic status and impacts fisheries management. In salmonids, energetic status (either absolute level of energy reserves or the rate of change of energy reserves, i.

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Background: Same-day discharge (SDD) after laparoscopic gastrostomy tube (G-tube) placement, using written and video-based preoperative education, has been our standard institutional practice since 2017. We aim to evaluate caretaker satisfaction with this protocol.

Methods: All patients planned for SDD after G-tube placement from February 2021-February 2022 were identified.

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  • Pectus carinatum (PC) is a chest deformity causing the chest to protrude, which mainly impacts self-esteem and body image rather than causing physical symptoms.
  • A study involving 97 children aged 11 to 18 assessed changes in self-image before and after treatment with a brace, using a modified questionnaire.
  • Results showed a significant improvement in self-image following non-surgical treatment for PC, highlighting the psychological benefits of the brace.
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Background: Laparoscopic gastrostomy is a common procedure in children. We developed a same-day discharge (SDD) protocol for laparoscopic button gastrostomy.

Methods: We performed a prospective observational study of children undergoing laparoscopic button gastrostomy and were eligible for SDD from August 2017-September 2019.

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The GH/IGF-I axis influences many aspects of salmonid life history and is involved in a variety of physiological processes that are related to somatic growth (e.g., reproduction, smoltification, and the response to fasting and stress).

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Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder of collagen resulting in a "fragile" skeleton with increased fracture risk and other complications, dependent on the specific variant. Pectus deformities of the chest wall, while not common, can be associated with OI. The use of a pectus carinatum brace in a patient with OI poses unknown risks for fractures and adverse treatment outcomes.

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Many iteroparous fishes spawn after skipping one or more yearly cycles, which impacts recruitment estimates used for fisheries management and conservation. The physiological mechanisms underlying the development of consecutive and skip spawning life histories in fishes are not well understood. In salmonids, lipid energy reserves and/or growth are thought to regulate the initiation of reproductive maturation during a critical period ~1 year prior to spawning.

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To achieve the national agenda of developing improved therapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD), greater community engagement and public trust are needed. Ensuring satisfaction among those enrolling in studies is one means to facilitate these goals. We performed telephone interviews to assess satisfaction with the disclosure of study results among thirteen individuals who were enrolled as participants or study partners in a Phase 3 clinical trial for mild AD.

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Purpose of review Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia can often be diagnosed accurately with careful clinical history, cognitive testing, neurological examination, and structural brain MRI. However, there are certain circumstances wherein detection of specific biomarkers of neurodegeneration or underlying AD pathology will impact the clinical diagnosis or treatment plan. We will review the currently available biomarkers for AD and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and discuss their clinical importance.

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Objective:  Bracing for pectus carinatum (PC) has emerged as an alternative to surgical correction. However, predictive factors for bracing remain poorly understood, as much of the data have been reported from small series.

Materials And Methods:  We reviewed a prospective dataset in patients with PC who underwent dynamic compression bracing (DCB) from July 2011 to July 2016.

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Objectives: The ADapting pharmacists' skills and Approaches to maximize Patient's drug Therapy effectiveness (ADAPT) e-learning program was developed by a consortium of Canadian pharmacy educators and researchers to prepare practicing pharmacists for patient-centered care. We selected this education program to provide training for pharmacists as the workforce transformation component of a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation project. In this report we share our experiences with this educational program.

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The oldest-old represent the fastest growing segment of society, and the risk of developing dementia continues to increase with advancing age into the 9th and 10th decades of life. The most common form of dementia in the oldest-old is Alzheimer disease (AD), although there are often mixed pathologies contributing to dementia in addition to amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Diagnosing AD in the oldest-old is challenging due to cognitive and physical changes associated with aging.

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In a Perspective, Aimee Pierce and Claudia Kawas discuss risk factors and pathologies of dementia in the oldest-old.

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Chronic activation of the complement system and induced inflammation are associated with neuropathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent large genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the C3b/C4b receptor (CR1 or CD35) that are associated with late onset AD. Here, anti-CR1 antibodies (Abs) directed against different epitopes of the receptor, were used to localize CR1 in brain, and relative binding affinities of the CR1 ligands, C1q and C3b, were assessed by ELISA.

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Background: In 2012, pharmacists were integrated into a medical group to provide direct patient care, drug information activities, and health care provider education. The medical group encompasses 40 primary care and 60 specialty offices in Virginia.

Objective: To describe the development and implementation of clinical pharmacist services integrated within a medical group.

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A survey was issued to patients enrolled in the Medication Therapy Management Clinic (MTMC) at University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences (June 2011-January 2012) in order to assess satisfaction with pharmacy services provided by pharmacists. A 23-item survey was offered to 65 patients in the MTMC program before or after clinic visits. Since there is a paucity of data indicating the level of satisfaction with MTM services provided by pharmacists, this survey may contribute to the process of building a greater collaboration between the pharmacist and patient.

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The metabolic peptide hormone nesfatin-1 has been linked to the reproductive axis in fishes. The purpose of this study was to determine how energy availability after spawning affects plasma levels of nesfatin-1, the metabolic peptide hormone ghrelin, and sex steroid hormones in rematuring female rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). To limit reproductive maturation, a group of female trout was food-restricted after spawning and compared with a control group that was fed a standard broodstock ration.

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To determine how energy balance affects metabolic hormones hypothesized to play a role in the onset of a new reproductive cycle in iteroparous salmonids, food availability after spawning was restricted in female rainbow trout. These fish were compared with a control group that was fed a standard brood stock ration. Bodyweight, length, and muscle lipid content were determined, and blood was collected from fish at regular intervals; a subset of fish from each group was sacrificed at each sampling time for the collection of liver and ovary tissue, and to calculate hepatosomatic index (HSI) and gonadosomatic index (GSI).

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Growth hormone (GH) regulates essential physiological functions in teleost fishes, including growth, metabolism, and osmoregulation. Recent studies have identified two clades of putative receptors for GH (GHR1 clade and GHR2 clade) in fishes, both of which are highly expressed in the liver. Moreover, the liver is an important target for the anabolic effects of GH via endocrine IGFs, and liver sensitivity to GH is modulated by metabolic hormones.

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