Publications by authors named "Blair R"

Preeclampsia (PE) is a life-threatening hypertensive disorder of pregnancy with an incidence rate of up to 8% worldwide. However, the complete pathogenesis is still unknown. Obesity increases the risk of developing PE three-fold.

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Background: Machine learning (ML) has developed classifiers differentiating patient groups despite concerns regarding diagnostic reliability. An alternative strategy, used here, is to develop a functional classifier (hyperplane) (e.g.

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mRNA vaccines were highly effective in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, making them an attractive platform to address cancers and other infectious diseases. Many new mRNA vaccines in development are multivalent, which represents a difficulty for the standard assays commonly used to characterize the critical quality attributes of monovalent formulations. Here, we present a multiplexed analytical tool with nucleic acid microarray technology using the VaxArray platform that measures the identity and quantity of mono- and multivalent mixtures of naked mRNA and mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticle formulations in under 2 h without any additional preparation steps, such as extraction or RT-PCR.

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Background: One in eight children experience early life stress (ELS), which increases risk for psychopathology. ELS, particularly neglect, has been associated with reduced responsivity to reward. However, little work has investigated the computational specifics of this disrupted reward response - particularly with respect to the neural response to Reward Prediction Errors (RPE) - a critical signal for successful instrumental learning - and the extent to which they are augmented to novel stimuli.

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Article Synopsis
  • Individuals with problematic methamphetamine use demonstrate significant working memory difficulties compared to those without such use, as evidenced by lower performance scores on working memory tasks.
  • Brain imaging revealed that individuals using methamphetamine had altered neural responses in areas crucial for processing cognitive load, specifically showing increased activation in frontoparietal areas but decreased activation in default-mode areas during working memory tasks.
  • There is a strong correlation between activation in frontoparietal regions and individual working memory ability, suggesting that these brain responses could be a neural marker for the working memory challenges faced by chronic methamphetamine users.
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Objective: The first COVID-19 pandemic wave was a period of reduced surgical activity and redistribution of resources to only those with late stage or critical presentations. This Vascular and Endovascular Research Network COVID-19 Vascular Service (COVER) study aimed to describe the six-month outcomes of patients who underwent open surgery and or endovascular interventions for major vascular conditions during this period.

Methods: In this international, multicentre, prospective, observational study, centres recruited consecutive patients undergoing vascular procedures over a 12-week period.

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  • The Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS) is a community-created standard for organizing neuroscience data and metadata, helping researchers manage various modalities efficiently.
  • The paper discusses the evolution of BIDS, including the guiding principles, extension mechanisms, and challenges faced during its development.
  • It also highlights key lessons learned from the BIDS project, aiming to inspire and inform researchers in other fields about effective data organization practices.
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  • Tlr7 deficiency is linked to more severe COVID-19 due to lower production of interferons (IFNs), which are important for the immune response.
  • Infected mice show that the virus activates Tlr7 and IFN pathways initially; however, Tlr7 and Irf7 deficiencies lead to worse symptoms and higher viral loads.
  • Deficiencies in Tlr7 and Irf7 result in reduced antibody production against SARS-CoV-2, hindering the body's ability to clear the virus effectively.
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Emerging evidence indicates that activation of complement system leading to the formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC) plays a detrimental role in COVID-19. However, their pathogenic roles have never been experimentally investigated before. We used three knock out mice strains (1.

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Hyperglycemia, and exacerbation of pre-existing deficits in glucose metabolism, are manifestations of the post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2. Our understanding of metabolic decline after acute COVID-19 remains unclear due to the lack of animal models. Here, we report a non-human primate model of metabolic post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 using SARS-CoV-2 infected African green monkeys.

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The effects of immunodeficiency associated with chronic HIV infection on COVID-19 disease and viral persistence have not been directly addressed in a controlled setting. In this pilot study, we exposed two pigtail macaques (PTMs) chronically infected with SIVmac239, exhibiting from very low to no CD4 T cells across all compartments, to SARS-CoV-2. We monitored the disease progression, viral replication, and evolution, and compared these outcomes with SIV-naïve PTMs infected with SARS-CoV-2.

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  • HIV and malaria often occur together in the same regions, leading to co-infection that worsens the symptoms of both diseases, but the mechanisms behind this increase in severity are not well understood.
  • A pilot study in rhesus macaques treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) aimed to explore the effects of co-infection, revealing persistent viral loads and decreased CD4+ T-cells despite treatment, along with signs of anemia and parasitemia.
  • The study also found that co-infection increased inflammatory markers and altered neutrophil behavior, suggesting that inflammation and gastrointestinal dysfunction could play key roles in the aggravated disease pathology seen in HIV and malaria co-infection.
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Background And Aims: The metabolism of choline (highly present in animal products) can produce trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a metabolite with atherosclerotic effects; however, dietary fiber may suppress this metabolic pathway. This study aimed to develop a dietary pattern predictive of plasma TMAO and choline concentrations using reduced rank regression (RRR) and to evaluate its construct validity.

Methods And Results: Diet and plasma concentrations of choline (μmol/L) and TMAO (μmol/L) were assessed in 1724 post-menopausal women who participated in an ancillary study within the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (1993-1998).

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Obesity is a risk factor for developing severe COVID-19. However, the mechanism underlying obesity-accelerated COVID-19 remains unclear. Here, we report results from a study in which 2-3-month-old K18-hACE2 (K18) mice were fed a western high-fat diet (WD) or normal chow (NC) over 3 months before intranasal infection with a sublethal dose of SARS-CoV2 WA1 (a strain ancestral to the Wuhan variant).

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is a common cause of healthcare acquired bloodstream infections and catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in both adults and children. Treatment of infection is frequently complicated by multi-drug resistance. Based on protein homology, encodes two putative hyaluronidases, EF3023 (HylA) and EF0818 (HylB).

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Article Synopsis
  • * MA30-infected C57BL/6 mice showed severe lung inflammation and edema, similar to what severe COVID-19 patients experience, while K18-ACE2 mice had different inflammation patterns.
  • * The research highlights the importance of T and B cells for an effective immune response against SARS-CoV-2, as their depletion led to worse infection outcomes, whereas NK cells had a minimal effect during the acute phase.
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Previous studies show aggression-related structural alterations in frontal and limbic brain regions. Most studies have focused on overall aggression, instead of its subtypes, and on specific regions instead of networks. This study aims to identify both brain networks and regions that are associated with reactive and proactive subtypes of aggression.

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Background: Achievement of evidence-informed decision making (EIDM) requires the integration of evidence into all practice decisions by identifying and synthesizing evidence, then developing and executing plans to implement and evaluate changes to practice. This rapid systematic review synthesizes evidence for strategies for the implementation of EIDM across organizations, mapping facilitators and barriers to the COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation, behaviour) model for behaviour change. The review was conducted to support leadership at organizations delivering public health services (health promotion, communicable disease prevention) to drive change toward evidence-informed public health.

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Manufacturing custom three-dimensional (3D) carbon functional materials is of utmost importance for applications ranging from electronics and energy devices to medicine, and beyond. In lieu of viable eco-friendly synthesis pathways, conventional methods of carbon growth involve energy-intensive processes with inherent limitations of substrate compatibility. The yearning to produce complex structures, with ultra-high aspect ratios, further impedes the quest for eco-friendly and scalable paths toward 3D carbon-based materials patterning.

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Objective: The authors investigated the neural impact of intranasal oxytocin on emotion processing areas in youths with severe irritability in the context of disruptive mood and behavior disorders.

Methods: Fifty-two participants with severe irritability, as measured by a score ≥4 on the Affective Reactivity Index (ARI), with diagnoses of disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) and/or disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) were randomly assigned to treatment with intranasal oxytocin or placebo daily for 3 weeks. Assessments were conducted at baseline and at the end of the trial; the primary outcomes were measures of irritability on the ARI and ratings on the Clinical Global Impressions severity scale (CGI-S) focusing on DBD and DMDD symptoms, and secondary outcomes included the CGI improvement scale (CGI-I) and ratings of proactive and reactive aggressive behavior on the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire.

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers tested two vaccines for eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) in cynomolgus macaques using an aerosol infection model.
  • Both vaccines, MVA-BN-EEEV (monovalent) and MVA-BN-WEV (multivalent), triggered strong and lasting immune responses that protected the monkeys against lethal EEEV exposure.
  • The results showed that the vaccinated macaques had nearly complete protection from viral presence in their bodies and no significant brain damage, suggesting the vaccines are effective against aerosolized EEEV infections.
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Men with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) with or without psychopathy (+/-P) are responsible for most violent crime in society. Development of effective treatments is hindered by poor understanding of the neurochemical underpinnings of the condition. Men with ASPD with and without psychopathy demonstrate impulsive decision-making, associated with striatal abnormalities in functional neuroimaging studies.

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