Publications by authors named "Brearley A"

Article Synopsis
  • Gadolinium-based contrast agents are commonly used in medical imaging but have been linked to health issues like nephrogenic systemic fibrosis and encephalopathy after exposure.
  • These agents are designed to bind gadolinium tightly to minimize toxicity, but there's concern that uncoupled gadolinium could be harmful.
  • Recent research from the Kidney Institute of New Mexico discovered gadolinium-rich nanoparticles in human kidney cells, suggesting these particles may contribute to long-term toxicity from contrast agents.
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  • Self-management of medications is affected by various factors and the need for new strategies is highlighted due to continuous issues with improper medication use, resulting in drug-related health complications.
  • Innovative initiatives have been developed to help patients confidently manage their medications, including a comprehensive 4-step pharmacotherapy assessment process.
  • Initial evaluations of a toolkit designed to assist in medication self-management showed favorable responses from participants, with a strong reliability score indicating the checklist's effectiveness in enhancing self-efficacy in medication management.
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Background: Uranium exposure remains an important environmental legacy and physiological health concern, with hundreds of abandoned uranium mines located in the Southwestern United States largely impacting underserved indigenous communities. The negative effects of heavy metals on barrier permeability and inhibition of intestinal epithelial healing have been described; however, transcriptomic changes within the intestinal epithelial cells and impacts on lineage differentiation are largely unknown.

Objectives: Herein, we sought to determine the molecular and cellular changes that occur in the colon in response to uranium bearing dust (UBD) exposure.

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Prcis: This meta-analysis examines the comparative efficacy of phacoemulsification with and without Kahook Dual Blade Goniotomy in individuals with glaucoma and cataract, aiming to elucidate optimal surgical approaches for coexisting conditions.

Purpose: The purpose of this current study is to compare the effect of combining Kahook Dual Blade (KDB) goniotomy with phacoemulsification versus phacoemulsification alone on intraocular pressure (IOP) and medication reduction in patients with glaucoma and cataract.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis utilizing computer databases, including Embase (OVID), MEDLINE (OVID and PubMed), CINHAL (EBSCO), and the Cochrane Library (Wiley).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how microplastics, specifically high-density polyethylene (HDPE), interact with uranium (U) in agricultural soil, particularly focusing on the effects across different pH levels.
  • The results show a significant decrease in aqueous U concentration when mixed with soil alone or soil in combination with HDPE, indicating that HDPE influences uranium accumulation in soil depending on pH.
  • Additionally, the research identifies uranium precipitates on the surface of HDPE after exposure, highlighting the role of microplastics in metal mobility and potential contamination in agricultural areas.
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Objective: Nasal Intermittent Positive Pressure Ventilation (NIPPV) is an effective therapy for infants in respiratory distress. We here report the safety of a novel, low-cost, non-electric bubble NIPPV device in comparison with bubble NCPAP.

Study Design: At Paramitha Children's Hospital (Hyderabad, India), preterm (n = 60) neonates with moderate respiratory distress were pragmatically allocated to bubble NCPAP (5-8 cm HO) or bubble NIPPV (P 8-12 cm HO/P 5-8 cm HO) based on staff and equipment availability.

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Introduction: More frequent and severe lupus nephritis (LN) has been reported in men compared to women, but data are limited and inconsistent. We conducted a meta-analysis of the literature to compare the histopathologic findings and outcomes between men and women with biopsy-proven LN.

Methods: A systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases was conducted through February 2021.

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Background: Acute Bilirubin Encephalopathy (ABE) is common in Nigeria. Parents' inability to recognize jaundice and delays in seeking care are significant barriers to its prevention.

Methods: We compared associations of (1) interactive antenatal maternal jaundice instruction with postnatal reinforcement, (2) standard postnatal instruction, and (3) no maternal instruction with the incidence of ABE among 647 jaundice admissions stratified for risk factors identified in initial descriptive analysis.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluates the importance of team science skills among collaborative biostatisticians, highlighting a gap in graduate programs which often emphasize technical skills over collaborative and leadership abilities.
  • A survey of 343 biostatisticians across various career stages and sectors identified 16 essential skills, with significant differences in skill importance based on career stage and degree.
  • The findings suggest the need for improved training opportunities in graduate programs and on-the-job initiatives to develop the necessary team science skills for a skilled quantitative workforce.
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We studied the co-occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and metals in field sites and further investigated their interfacial interaction in controlled laboratory conditions. First, we detected MPs in freshwater co-occurring with metals in rural and urban areas in New Mexico. Automated particle counting and fluorescence microscopy indicated that particles in field samples ranged from 7 to 149 particles/L.

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Background: Severe adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) can be treated with instrumented fusion, but the number of anchors needed for optimal correction is controversial.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, randomized study that included patients undergoing spinal fusion for single thoracic curves between 45° and 65°, the most common form of operatively treated AIS. Of the 211 patients randomized, 108 were assigned to a high-density screw pattern and 103, to a low-density screw pattern.

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Chronic exposure to environmental toxins and heavy metals has been associated with intestinal inflammation, increased susceptibility to pathogen-induced diseases, and higher incidences of colorectal cancer, all of which have been steadily increasing in prevalence for the past 40 years. The negative effects of heavy metals on barrier permeability and inhibition of intestinal epithelial healing have been described; however, transcriptomic changes within the intestinal epithelial cells and impacts on lineage differentiation are largely unknown. Uranium exposure remains an important environmental legacy and physiological health concern, with hundreds of abandoned uranium mines located in the Southwestern United States largely impacting underserved indigenous communities.

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The fact that nearly one-half of patients take medications differently than as prescribed, combined with the predisposition of older persons to adverse events, suggests a need for new strategies supporting medication self-management for older persons. This pilot study describes the development, acceptability and feasibility of a novel toolkit approach focusing on a systematic 4-step process for ensuring medication appropriateness. A preliminary qualitative assessment of the toolkit's acceptability and feasibility was carried out using a convenience sample of 39 residents aged 62-97 years in two senior living facilities convened in focus groups.

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Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are the leading cause of death in young children globally. Most of the global burden of mortality from LRTIs occurs in low-resource settings (LRSs), where obtaining and maintaining respiratory support devices such as commercial bubble continuous positive airway pressure (bCPAP) can be prohibitive. Low-cost bCPAP devices exist, such as the homemade WHO-style bCPAP design, but the safety of this design has been called into question.

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Microplastics represent an emerging environmental contaminant, with large gaps in our understanding of human health impacts. Furthermore, environmental factors may modify the plastic chemistry, further altering the toxic potency. Ultraviolet (UV) light is one such unavoidable factor for airborne microplastic particulates and a known modifier of polystyrene surface chemistry.

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The leitmotifs of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent-induced complications range from acute kidney injury, symptoms associated with gadolinium exposure (SAGE)/gadolinium deposition disease, potentially fatal gadolinium encephalopathy, and irreversible systemic fibrosis. Gadolinium is the active ingredient of these contrast agents, a non-physiologic lanthanide metal. The mechanisms of MRI contrast agent-induced diseases are unknown.

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Objectives: Haiti remains a principal placement country for intercountry adoptees to the United States. This project reports the health status of children adopted from Haiti arriving to the U.S.

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Kangaroo care (KC), skin-to-skin contact between infants and caregivers, is encouraged in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to support health through improved weight, growth, and infant-maternal attachment while reducing the incidence of sepsis and infant pain. However, the optimal duration and frequency of KC to maximize health outcomes is unknown. Given parents' time stressors, identifying optimal KC time is critical.

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Article Synopsis
  • Samples from the carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu, collected by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft, show evidence of carbon dioxide-bearing water inclusions in a pyrrhotite crystal, suggesting its parent asteroid formed in the outer Solar System.
  • The analyzed samples contain few high-temperature materials like chondrules, yet are abundant in low-temperature formation products like phyllosilicates and carbonates, indicating aqueous alteration in a low temperature, high pH environment.
  • Numerical simulations reveal that Ryugu's parent body likely formed about 2 million years after the Solar System began to develop, based on the mineralogical and physical properties of the samples.
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The NADase SARM1 (sterile alpha and TIR motif containing 1) is a key executioner of axon degeneration and a therapeutic target for several neurodegenerative conditions. We show that a potent SARM1 inhibitor undergoes base exchange with the nicotinamide moiety of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) to produce the bona fide inhibitor 1AD. We report structures of SARM1 in complex with 1AD, NAD mimetics and the allosteric activator nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN).

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We investigated interfacial reactions of U(VI) in the presence of Suwannee River natural organic matter (NOM) at acidic and neutral pH. Laboratory batch experiments show that the adsorption and precipitation of U(VI) in the presence of NOM occur at pH 2 and pH 4, while the aqueous complexation of U by dissolved organic matter is favored at pH 7, preventing its precipitation. Spectroscopic analyses indicate that U(VI) is mainly adsorbed to the particulate organic matter at pH 4.

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We have performed sound velocity and unit cell volume measurements of three synthetic, ultrafine micro/nanocrystalline grossular samples up to 50 GPa using Brillouin spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The samples are characterized by average grain sizes of 90 nm, 93 nm and 179 nm (hereinafter referred to as samples Gr90, Gr93, and Gr179, respectively). The experimentally determined sound velocities and elastic properties of Gr179 sample are comparable with previous measurements, but slightly higher than those of Gr90 and Gr93 under ambient conditions.

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Article Synopsis
  • The paper reports the successful creation of true two-dimensional silicon carbide (2D SiC) through a top-down synthesis approach, despite challenges in growing it from non-layered bulk silicon carbide.
  • The isolated 2D SiC is shown to be environmentally stable and displays unique Raman behavior linked to the thickness of the nanosheets.
  • The resulting 2D SiC demonstrates visible-light emission, highlighting its potential for applications in light-emitting devices and advanced electronic circuits.
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We integrated microscopy, spectroscopy, culturing and molecular biology, and aqueous chemistry techniques to evaluate arsenic (As) accumulation in hydroponically grown inoculated with endophytic fungi. grows in historically contaminated sediment in the Cheyenne River Watershed and was used for laboratory experiments with As(V) ranging from 0 to 2.5 mg L at circumneutral pH.

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