Publications by authors named "DREW D"

Unlabelled: A polygenic risk score (PRS) is used to quantify the combined disease risk of many genetic variants. For complex human traits there is interest in determining whether the PRS modifies, i.e.

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plantations are a crucial global resource, offering raw materials for industries across five continents, including renewable energy sources, recyclable fibers, and eco-friendly wood products. To support sustainable management, ten wireless dendrometer and environmental sensor systems were deployed on trees-six in Stellenbosch, South Africa, and four in Leiria, Portugal. These systems measure tree stem growth, air and soil conditions, and transmit data via LoRaWAN to a cloud-based platform (ThingSpeak), with local SD-card backups.

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  • - Pregnancy may worsen the severity of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory infections, but the reasons behind this increased risk are not well understood.
  • - A study involving 226 women, including 152 pregnant and 74 non-pregnant, showed that pregnant women experience significant changes in T cell responses and immune functions after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • - The study found increased levels of interleukin-27 in pregnant women, which is linked to T cell exhaustion, suggesting that unique immune responses during pregnancy could make them more vulnerable to viral infections.
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Background: Metabolomic profiles may influence colorectal cancer (CRC) development. Few studies have performed pre-diagnostic metabolome-wide analyses with CRC risk.

Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study among women (Nurses' Health Study (NHS)) and men (Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS)) who provided blood between 1989 and 1995.

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Background: Having a brother or sister who has a chronic illness (lasting >6 months and requiring long-term care) or life-limiting condition (LLC; where cure is highly unlikely and the child is expected to die) has major impacts on siblings. Parent-sibling illness-related communication may contribute to siblings' capacity to cope.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to explore parent-sibling illness-related communication, from the perspectives of parents and siblings.

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Introduction: Delays in promptly recognizing and appropriately managing hemorrhagic injuries contribute to preventable trauma related deaths nationwide. We sought to identify patient variables available at the time of emergency department arrival associated with meeting the critical administration threshold.

Methodology: We conducted a trauma registry review from September 2016 to March 2020 of trauma team activations at The Ottawa Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center.

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  • Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health concern, and understanding how genetic and environmental factors interact can help identify at-risk groups.
  • This study analyzed data from over 45,000 CRC cases to assess both multiplicative and additive interactions between genetic risk scores and various environmental factors, finding no multiplicative interactions but significant additive ones for high genetic susceptibility individuals.
  • Results suggest that individuals with high genetic risk could benefit more from lifestyle interventions like reducing alcohol intake or increasing fruit and fiber consumption, emphasizing the need for targeted prevention strategies in CRC care.
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Apathy is recognized to be a common, disabling syndrome that occurs across a range of psychiatric and neurological conditions, including Parkinson's disease. It can have a significant impact on quality of life, both for people affected and those around them. Currently, there are no established, evidence-based treatments for this debilitating syndrome.

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Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that has demonstrated incredible value within medical education. However, medical institutions adopting VR as a learning tool need to ensure that the immersive technology product they pick possesses standard usability criteria. The current literature is limited in defining what specific criteria institutions should look for, or how to select between various VR products.

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Importance: Aspirin reduces the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Identifying individuals more likely to benefit from regular aspirin use for CRC prevention is a high priority.

Objective: To assess whether aspirin use is associated with the risk of CRC across different lifestyle risk factors.

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Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening utilization is low among low-income, uninsured, and minority populations that receive care in community health centers (CHCs). There is a need for evidence-based interventions to increase screening and follow-up care in these settings.

Methods: A multilevel, multi-component pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial is being conducted at 8 CHCs in two metropolitan areas (Boston and Los Angeles), with two arms: (1) Mailed FIT outreach with text reminders, and (2) Mailed FIT-DNA with patient support.

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  • Folate intake plays a crucial role in genetic and metabolic processes, and low levels are linked to higher cancer risk, specifically colorectal cancer (CRC).
  • The study analyzed dietary and supplemental folate intake among participants with CRC, investigating how this intake relates to specific genetic mutations using advanced sequencing techniques.
  • Results indicated that higher total folate intake generally reduced CRC risk, but the impact varied when considering mutation status in tumors, with a few specific gene mutations showing different associations with folate intake.
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Though artificial intelligence (AI) is being widely implemented in gastroenterology (GI) and hepatology and has the potential to be paradigm shifting for clinical practice, its pitfalls must be considered along with its advantages. Currently, although the use of AI is limited in practice to supporting clinical judgment, medicine is rapidly heading toward a global environment where AI will be increasingly autonomous. Broader implementation of AI will require careful ethical considerations, specifically related to bias, privacy, and consent.

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Background & Aims: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA) has empowered many insights into gastrointestinal microenvironments. However, profiling human biopsies using droplet-based scRNA (D-scRNA) is challenging since it requires immediate processing to minimize epithelial cell damage. In contrast, picowell-based (P-scRNA) platforms permit short-term frozen storage before sequencing.

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Future climatic scenarios forecast increasingly frequent droughts that will pose substantial consequences on tree mortality. In light of this, drought-tolerant eucalypts have been propagated; however, the severity of these conditions will invoke adaptive responses, impacting the commercially valuable wood properties. To determine what mechanisms govern the wood anatomical adaptive response, highly controlled drought experiments were conducted in Eucalyptus grandis W.

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Intracellular potassium (K) homeostasis is fundamental to cell viability. In addition to channels, K levels are maintained by various ion transporters. One major family is the proton-driven K efflux transporters, which in gram-negative bacteria is important for detoxification and in plants is critical for efficient photosynthesis and growth.

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The World Health Organization identifies a strong surveillance system for malaria and its mosquito vector as an essential pillar of the malaria elimination agenda. salivary antibodies are emerging biomarkers of exposure to mosquito bites that potentially overcome sensitivity and logistical constraints of traditional entomological surveys. Using samples collected by a village health volunteer network in 104 villages in Southeast Myanmar during routine surveillance, the present study employs a Bayesian geostatistical modeling framework, incorporating climatic and environmental variables together with salivary antigen serology, to generate spatially continuous predictive maps of biting exposure.

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  • * Researchers analyzed data from 52 studies, including nearly 31,000 CRC cases and over 41,000 controls, to explore the genetic interactions with regular aspirin/NSAID use.
  • * They found significant interactions with genetic variants in two specific regions (6q24.1 and 5p13.1), which could help uncover new targets for understanding how aspirin provides its protective effects against colorectal cancer.
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Ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is vital for decision-making. Functional neuroimaging links vmPFC to processing rewards and effort, while parallel work suggests vmPFC involvement in prosocial behaviour. However, the necessity of vmPFC for these functions is unknown.

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Significant research advances in our understanding of psoriatic disease have led to the development of several highly selective, effective, and safe topical and systemic treatments. These treatments have led to unprecedented levels of disease clearance and control for most patients with psoriasis with cutaneous disease. However, there remains a need for improved treatments for those patients with recalcitrant disease, psoriatic arthritis, or nonplaque disease variants.

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  • Consumption of fiber, fruits, and vegetables may lower the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but genetic factors might influence this connection.
  • A large study involving nearly 70,000 participants identified two significant genetic variants linked to dietary intake and CRC risk using advanced statistical methods.
  • The findings suggest specific genetic loci (SLC26A3 and NEGR1) may affect how fiber and fruit consumption interacts with CRC risk, highlighting the need for more research on the underlying mechanisms.
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There is a high unmet need for early detection approaches for diffuse gastric cancer (DGC). We examined whether the stool proteome of mouse models of gastric cancer (GC) and individuals with hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) have utility as biomarkers for early detection. Proteomic mass spectrometry of the stool of a genetically engineered mouse model driven by oncogenic KrasG12D and loss of p53 and Cdh1 in gastric parietal cells [known as Triple Conditional (TCON) mice] identified differentially abundant proteins compared with littermate controls.

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The number of patients with AKI receiving outpatient hemodialysis (AKI-D) is increasing. At present, on the basis of limited data, approximately one third of patients with AKI-D who receive outpatient dialysis after hospital discharge survive and regain sufficient kidney function to discontinue dialysis. Data to inform dialysis management strategies that promote kidney function recovery and processes of care among patients with AKI-D receiving outpatient dialysis are lacking.

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