Publications by authors named "Draper D"

Hybridization and introgression are complex evolutionary mechanisms that can increase species diversity and lead to speciation, but may also lead to species extinction. In this study, we tested the presence and genetic consequences of hybridization between the rare and Ecuadorian endemic van der Werff and the widespread van der Werff (Lauraceae). Phenotypically, some trees are difficult to identify, and we expect that some might in fact be cryptic hybrids.

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To support the development of appraisal tools for assessing the quality of in vitro studies, we developed a method for literature-based discovery of study assessment criteria, used the method to create an item bank of assessment criteria of potential relevance to in vitro studies, and analyzed the item bank to discern and critique current approaches for appraisal of in vitro studies. We searched four research indexes and included any document that identified itself as an appraisal tool for in vitro studies, was a systematic review that included a critical appraisal step, or was a reporting checklist for in vitro studies. We abstracted, normalized, and categorized all criteria applied by the included appraisal tools to create an "item bank" database of issues relevant to the assessment of in vitro studies.

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For traumatic lumbar spine injuries, the mechanisms and influence of anthropometrical variation are not yet fully understood under dynamic loading. Our objective was to evaluate whether geometrically subject-specific explicit finite element (FE) lumbar spine models based on state-of-the-art clinical CT data combined with general material properties from the literature could replicate the experimental responses and the fracture locations via a dynamic drop tower-test setup. The experimental CT datasets from a dynamic drop tower-test setup were used to create anatomical details of four lumbar spine models (T12 to L5).

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Article Synopsis
  • Elderly patients with severe COVID-19 showed reduced T-cell diversity and weaker immune responses compared to younger patients, highlighting age-related vulnerabilities in fighting the virus.
  • The study used advanced sequencing techniques to analyze T-cell responses in both COVID-19 patients and individuals with inborn errors of immunity who received an mRNA vaccine, revealing specific genetic associations affecting these responses.
  • Findings indicated that mRNA vaccines successfully enhanced the T-cell responses in individuals with immune deficiencies, suggesting their effectiveness even in populations that struggle to develop strong immune responses on their own.
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Ecuador has a high diversity of orchids, but little is known about levels of genetic diversity for the great majority of species. Understanding how orchids might adapt to changes is crucial as deforestation and fragmentation of forest ecosystems threaten the survival of many epiphytic orchids that depend on other species, such as fungi and their host trees, for germination, growth, and establishment. Overcollection and the illegal trade are also major concerns for the survival of wild populations of orchids.

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  • The interaction between nitrogen monoxide (NO) and organic peroxy radicals (RO) is crucial for creating highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOM), which are essential for forming secondary organic aerosols.
  • New experiments show that low levels of NO (0 - 82 pptv) can actually boost HOM production by affecting RO loss and promoting alkoxy radical formation, which continues to react and form more HOM.
  • These findings reveal that HOM yields in boreal forest emissions can range from 2.5%-6.5%, and high NO levels do not completely stop HOM formation, challenging previous beliefs about NO's role in lowering HOM yields, especially in environments with low NO.
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Dysregulation in neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation and degradation may play a role in the pathogenesis and severity of COVID-19; however, its role in the pediatric manifestations of this disease, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and chilblain-like lesions (CLLs), otherwise known as "COVID toes," remains unclear. Studying multinational cohorts, we found that, in CLLs, NETs were significantly increased in serum and skin. There was geographic variability in the prevalence of increased NETs in MIS-C, in association with disease severity.

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The significant advancement of inexpensive and portable virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality devices has re-energised the research in the immersive analytics field. The immersive environment is different from a traditional 2D display used to analyse 3D data as it provides a unified environment that supports immersion in a 3D scene, gestural interaction, haptic feedback and spatial audio. Genomic data analysis has been used in oncology to understand better the relationship between genetic profile, cancer type, and treatment option.

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Controlling interactions between enzymes and interaction partners, such as substrates, is important for applications in cellular biology and molecular biochemistry. A strategy for controlling enzyme access with substrate interaction partners is to exploit encapsulation of enzymes inside nanoparticles to limit the accessibility of the enzymes to large macromolecules, but allow free exchange of small-molecule substrates. The research here evaluates the encapsulation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase inside the bacteriophage P22 virus-like particle (VLP) to examine the ability to allow free soluble substrates access to the enzyme while blocking large macromolecular substrate interactions.

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Unlabelled: Dysregulation in neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation and degradation may play a role in the pathogenesis and severity of COVID-19; however, its role in the pediatric manifestations of this disease including MIS-C and chilblain-like lesions (CLL), otherwise known as "COVID toes", remains unclear. Studying multinational cohorts, we found that, in CLL, NETs were significantly increased in serum and skin. There was geographic variability in the prevalence of increased NETs in MIS-C, in association with disease severity.

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Secondary organic aerosol formation via condensation of organic vapors onto existing aerosol transforms the chemical composition and size distribution of ambient aerosol, with implications for air quality and Earth's radiative balance. Gas-to-particle conversion is generally thought to occur on a continuum between equilibrium-driven partitioning of semivolatile molecules to the pre-existing mass size distribution and kinetic-driven condensation of low volatility molecules to the pre-existing surface area size distribution. However, we offer experimental evidence in contrast to this framework.

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Objective: The opportunistic pathogen is one of the few intestinal bacteria that has been consistently linked to colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to identify novel -induced pathways in colon epithelial cells that could further explain how contributes to CRC development.

Design And Results: Transcription profiling of cultured CRC cells that were exposed to revealed the specific induction of oxidoreductase pathways.

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Objective: To determine if positional release therapy (PRT) or therapeutic massage (TM) was more effective in the treatment of trigger and tender points in the upper trapezius muscle.

Background: Trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle are common and can be painful. Trigger points are commonly treated using TM however, PRT is a novel treatment that deserves further investigation.

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A single plant might be visited by many flower visitors but not all might act as pollinators. Legitimate pollinators might also differ considerably in their efficiency, limiting pollination success. Unsuitable climatic conditions such as rain also affect pollinator activity.

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Article Synopsis
  • Survivors of COVID-19 can develop post-covid pulmonary fibrosis (PCF) and experience long-term complications, including respiratory problems and psychological issues.
  • A study assessed patients six weeks after hospital discharge to identify the prevalence of PCF and other symptoms, finding that many reported fatigue (45.1%), breathlessness (36.5%), and myalgia (20.5%).
  • Factors associated with PCF included severe COVID-19 symptoms, male gender, high inflammation markers, and the need for ventilation during hospitalization; thus, patients with these risk factors should be monitored closely post-discharge.
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Background: SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is recommended in patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEIs); however, little is known about immunogenicity and safety in these patients.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the impact of genetic diagnosis, age, and treatment on antibody response to COVID-19 vaccine and related adverse events in a cohort of patients with IEIs.

Methods: Plasma was collected from 22 health care worker controls, 81 patients with IEIs, and 2 patients with thymoma; the plasma was collected before immunization, 1 to 6 days before the second dose of mRNA vaccine, and at a median of 30 days after completion of the immunization schedule with either mRNA vaccine or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine.

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Lynch syndrome patients with synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancer (SEOC) are rare. When these cases occur, they are most often endometrioid histology and early grade. Early-grade tumors are not often sent for somatic tumor profiling.

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Background: Summary measures are used to quantify a hospital's quality of care by combining multiple metrics into a single score. We used Baby-MONITOR, a summary quality measure for NICUs, to evaluate quality by race and ethnicity across and within NICUs in the United States.

Methods: Vermont Oxford Network members contributed data from 2015 to 2019 on infants from 25 to 29 weeks' gestation or of 401 to 1500 g birth weight who were inborn or transferred to the reporting hospital within 28 days of birth.

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Unlabelled: Hereditary cancer syndromes infer high cancer risks and require intensive surveillance. Identification of high-risk individuals among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) needs improvement.

Methods: Three thousand three hundred ten unselected adults who underwent surgical resection for primary invasive CRC were prospectively accrued from 51 hospitals across Ohio between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2016.

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Seventeen European endemic plant species were considered extinct, but improved taxonomic and distribution knowledge as well as ex situ collecting activities brought them out of the extinct status. These species have now been reported into a conservation framework that may promote legal protection and in situ and ex situ conservation.

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Background: The purpose of our study was two-fold. First, it was to discover American professional sports athletic trainers' (PSAT) use and opinions regarding the treatment with a small, portable ultrasound Sustained Acoustic Medicine (SAM) device on their athletes. Second, it was to discover the effectiveness of SAM treatment in their professional sports players (PSP).

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In late September, 2020 a man was riding his mountain bike on a trail. Half-way into his ride his bike flipped and he fell off. His hip hit a rock.

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