Publications by authors named "Anna Briker"

Background: Each year, approximately 3500 infants in the United States die from sleep-related deaths. The number of sleep-related infant deaths has decreased overall since the 1990s, but disparities in sleep-related deaths persist among different populations. The purpose of this study was to determine the most common risk factors and locations in Cook County, Illinois for sleep-related deaths in infants under 6 months of age.

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The transcription factor Nrf2 is a master regulator of antioxidant and cytoprotective genes, binding to antioxidant response elements (AREs) in their promoter regions. Due to the therapeutic role of the Nrf2/ARE system in oxidative homeostasis, its activation has been investigated in many pre-clinical and clinical trials for common chronic diseases. One of the most promising Nrf2 activators is sulforaphane, the subject of over 50 clinical trials.

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Objective: α-cells are the second most prominent cell type in pancreatic islets and are responsible for producing glucagon to increase plasma glucose levels in times of fasting. α-cell dysfunction and inappropriate glucagon secretion occur in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Thus, there is growing interest in studying both normal function and pathophysiology of α-cells.

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