Publications by authors named "Annie Wu"

Article Synopsis
  • * The fan-shaped body (FB) within this region is crucial for integrating multisensory information, with specific neuronal populations (PFN and PFN neurons) encoding navigational cues such as wind and visual flow.
  • * Experiments demonstrate that PFN neuron activity directly influences steering behavior, allowing flies to adjust their movement trajectories in response to changing environment signals through a model of continuous sensory integration.
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Animals exhibit sex-specific behaviors that are governed by sexually dimorphic circuits. One such behavior in male , courtship, is regulated by various sensory modalities, including olfaction. Here, we reveal how sexually dimorphic olfactory pathways in male flies converge at the third-order, onto lateral horn output neurons, to regulate courtship.

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  • Recent advances in cancer immunotherapies highlight the use of the immune system to treat cancer, particularly through the development of vaccines targeting cancer-specific neoantigens.
  • A significant emphasis has been placed on DNA and mRNA as promising platforms to create personalized vaccines, aided by improved methods for identifying neoantigens and predicting effective antigens.
  • The review covers the processes involved in developing these vaccines, the challenges faced, and suggests strategies for optimizing cancer vaccine efficacy through advancements in molecular biology and technology.
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Objective: To examine the effectiveness of a specially designed video-based exercise program in promoting physical and balance performance in people with intellectual disability.

Methods: This study was a multicenter controlled trial. Participants with intellectual disability were divided into exercise group and control group by cluster sampling.

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  • * This study features four patients who displayed specific non-cancerous conditions linked to stenosis of the duct, including unique fibrosis and chronic inflammation related to past injuries.
  • * Notably, three out of the four patients had significant prior abdominal trauma from motor vehicle accidents, underscoring the long-term effects such injuries can have on the pancreas and the importance of correlating clinical history with pathology findings.
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Purpose: To assess the rates of postoperative steroid response following dropless cataract surgery using a subconjunctival depot of triamcinolone versus conventional cataract surgery using topical prednisolone.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed consecutive cataract surgery cases performed by a single surgeon to determine the likelihood of steroid response, defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) 50% above baseline or IOP > 24 mmHg postoperatively, excluding the first 72 hours. Logistic regression models were performed including baseline characteristics as exposures in the model and steroid response as the outcome.

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Despite extensive research, the specific factor associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection that mediates the life-threatening inflammatory cytokine response in patients with severe COVID-19 remains unidentified. Herein we demonstrate that the virus-encoded Open Reading Frame 8 (ORF8) protein is abundantly secreted as a glycoprotein and in symptomatic patients with COVID-19. ORF8 specifically binds to the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) in CD14 monocytes to induce inflammasomal cytokine/chemokine responses including IL1β, IL8, and CCL2.

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Black patients are more affected by glaucoma and suffer from more advanced disease. Diagnostic challenges among black patients with glaucoma include lower rates of diagnostic testing and thinner average central corneal thickness, the latter of which affects intraocular pressure measurement. Treatment challenges include poor follow-up, medication adherence, and trust in providers.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pancreatoblastoma (PB) is a rare pancreatic cancer mainly found in children, with very few cases reported in adults; it's characterized by specific types of cancerous cells.
  • A 70-year-old woman was diagnosed with PB after an abdominal mass was discovered during an evaluation for kidney issues; fine needle aspiration (FNA) revealed distinctive cellular structures indicative of this type of tumor.
  • Accurate identification of PB through cytology is crucial, especially considering potential misdiagnoses, and features like acinar differentiation and squamous morules are key indicators for diagnosing this malignancy.
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Black patients are more affected by glaucoma and suffer from more advanced disease. Diagnostic challenges among black patients with glaucoma include lower rates of diagnostic testing and thinner average central corneal thickness, the latter of which affects intraocular pressure measurement. Treatment challenges include poor follow-up, medication adherence, and trust in providers.

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Background: Seizures in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are reported; however, the risk of epilepsy in adults with MS remains poorly defined.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the incidence and prevalence of epilepsy in adults (≥ 18 years) with MS compared to those without. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE from inception to July 1, 2022 to include observational studies that reported the prevalence or incidence of epilepsy in adults with MS and a comparator group, consisting of adults without MS or the general population.

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  • Two pediatric cases of reticular corneal epithelial edema were reported after using netarsudil ophthalmic solution 0.02%.
  • In the first case, a six-year-old developed the edema after glaucoma surgery and treatment with netarsudil, while the second case involved a three-month-old with edema appearing five weeks post-treatment.
  • Both cases resolved after stopping the use of netarsudil, highlighting the potential side effects of this medication in young patients.
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Importance: If an anatomic narrow angle is not appropriately diagnosed and treated, it can result in acute angle-closure crisis (AACC) and lead to substantial vision loss.

Objective: To identify patients who presented with AACC and assess for factors that may have been associated with risk of developing it.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This population-based retrospective cohort study conducted from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2015, included a 20% nationwide sample of 1179 Medicare beneficiaries.

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Background: The early COVID-19 pandemic period significantly strained the US healthcare system. During this period, consultations and admissions for acute medical conditions decreased, which was associated with an increase in disease-specific morbidity and mortality. Therefore, we sought to determine what, if any, effect the early COVID-19 pandemic period had on the presentation, management, and histopathologic severity of acute appendicitis.

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The ability to characterize individual biomarker protein molecules in patient blood samples could enable diagnosis of diseases at an earlier stage, when treatment is typically more effective. Single-molecule imaging offers a promising approach to accomplish this goal. However, thus far, single-molecule imaging methods have not been translated into the clinical setting.

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Purpose: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing phenomenon poised to instigate large-scale changes in medicine. However, medical education has not kept pace with the rapid advancements of AI. Despite several calls to action, the adoption of teaching on AI in undergraduate medical education (UME) has been limited.

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Purpose: : To assess the patient reported outcome and quality of life in post external dacryocystorhinostomy operated patients.

Methods: A prospective questionnaire based study was carried out on 112 patients diagnosed with chronic dacryocystitis who underwent external dacryocystorhinostomy in the department of Orbit and Oculoplasty at a tertiary eye hospital in South India.

Results: We included 112 cases in our study.

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Background: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is an endogenous counter-regulator of the renin-angiotensin hormonal cascade. We assessed whether plasma ACE2 concentrations were associated with greater risk of death or cardiovascular disease events.

Methods: We used data from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) prospective study to conduct a case-cohort analysis within a subset of PURE participants (from 14 countries across five continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America).

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Convalescent plasma is a leading treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but there is a paucity of data identifying its therapeutic efficacy. Among 126 potential convalescent plasma donors, the humoral immune response was evaluated using a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus neutralization assay with Vero-E6-TMPRSS2 cells; a commercial IgG and IgA ELISA to detect the spike (S) protein S1 domain (EUROIMMUN); IgA, IgG, and IgM indirect ELISAs to detect the full-length S protein or S receptor-binding domain (S-RBD); and an IgG avidity assay. We used multiple linear regression and predictive models to assess the correlations between antibody responses and demographic and clinical characteristics.

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Purpose: Timely mammography to screen for breast cancer in accordance with the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations can reduce morbidity and mortality substantially. This study assessed whether the odds of undergoing screening mammography are similar for women with and without visual impairment (VI).

Design: Retrospective, longitudinal cohort study.

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Background: Radiation therapy (RT) has the potential to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy, such as checkpoint inhibitors, which has dramatically altered the landscape of treatments for many cancers, but not yet for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Our prior studies demonstrated that PD ligand-1 and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) were induced on tumor epithelia of PDACs following neoadjuvant therapy including RT, suggesting RT may prime PDAC for PD-1 blockade antibody (αPD-1) or IDO1 inhibitor (IDO1i) treatments. In this study, we investigated the antitumor efficacy of the combination therapies with radiation and PD-1 blockade or IDO1 inhibition or both.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A study evaluated antibody responses in 126 potential donors using various assays, revealing that 80% had detectable neutralizing antibodies, with IgG levels generally higher than IgM or IgA.
  • * Factors like male sex, older age, and hospitalization were linked to stronger antibody responses, indicating they could help identify donors with potentially more effective plasma.
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